Genetic abnormalities of blood cells and the patient’s general condition can be taken into account to determine myelofibrosis prognosis and treatment. There is no staging system for MF, although a staging system is used to measure the severity of many other types of cancer.
Once an accurate diagnosis has been established, it is necessary to evaluate the patient’s symptoms and myelofibrosis prognosis. It should also be decided whether a bone marrow transplant will be an option now or in the future.
What is Myelofibrosis Prognosis?
Prognosis is to predict the course of treatment of a disease by looking at the data and symptoms. Allergic reactions that occur in the patient’s body to drugs, the patient’s psychology, and the decrease and increase in symptoms are also the main bases for prognosis.
The outlook for MF is difficult to predict and depends on many factors. People who do not meet any of the following criteria are considered low risk:
- Experiencing symptoms that affect your entire body, such as fever, fatigue, and weight loss
- having anemia or low red blood cell count
- having an abnormally high white blood cell count
- Having more than 1 percent immature white blood cells
What Are Myelofibrosis Clinical Trials?
Many exciting new treatments are currently being tested through clinical trials run by experts. Research is expanding rapidly with a focus on drug types such as:
- Alternative JAK inhibitors
- Transfusion addiction agents
- Antifibrinolytic agents
- Telomerase inhibitors
- BET inhibitors
New strategies are being investigated by trying many drug combinations in clinical trials. These studies give hope for the future treatment of the disease. Clinical trials are a great alternative for patients who are not benefiting from other treatments.
A mutation in JAK1/JAK2 is found in 50% of all myelofibrosis cases. Those who have tested positive for JAK1/JAK2 will be eligible to receive ruxolitinib (Jakafi), an FDA approved targeted therapy. This treatment binds to the cancerous cells with the mutation and attacks them. Targeted therapies can be more effective than other standard treatments and they avoid healthy cells, which can lead to less side effects for patients.
