Jakafi may offer a survival benefit for patients with myelofibrosis and an increased number of circulating blasts, a recent study found.

While the presence of circulation blasts in the blood is considered an important factor in patient prognosis, the impact of bone marrow blasts on survival is not as well defined. To better understand the connection between the amount of blasts found in the blood and bone marrow together, all in regard to patient prognosis, researchers performed a retrospective analysis of 1,316 patients with myelofibrosis, a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN).

These patients (median age, 66 years), who all presented to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, from July 1984 and 2018, had to have available circulation blasts in the blood and bone marrow percentages to be included in the analysis. Survival was noted as the time from the date of referral to the date of last follow-up or death, whichever came first. The median follow-up was 27 months.

Among the total, 700 (53%) had 0% circulation blasts in the blood and less than 5% had bone marrow blasts. Of the remaining patients who had 1% or greater circulation blasts in the blood, the range was as follows:

The researchers also found that higher percentages of circulating blasts in the blood had a negative correlation with hemoglobin and platelets, but a positive correlation with white blood cells, age and the presence of symptoms, among other factors.

Out of the total group, 523 patients (44%) received the JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor Jakafi. The authors noted that patients who received this treatment and also had 10% or less blasts, regardless of whether they were in the blood or bone marrow, saw a superior overall survival rate compared to those with similar disease features who did not receive Jakafi.

The studys authors went on to conclude that patients who have circulating blasts in the blood of 4% or more have an unfavorable prognosis; however, Jakafi offers a significant survival benefit to patients with circulating blasts in the blood of 10% or less, making a combination approach to treatment vital in improving the outcomes of patients with myelofibrosis.

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Jakafi May Offer Survival Benefit in Subset of Patients with Myelofibrosis - Curetoday.com