The effect of bone marrow (BM) blasts on the outcome of patients with myelofibrosis (MF) is poorly understood, except for in those with ?10% BM blasts, which represents a more aggressive accelerated phase. A study published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia found that patients with MF with ?5% BM blasts are a high-risk group with adverse clinical characteristics and inferior outcomes. However, these patients had improved survival with treatment with ruxolitinib, according to the study.
Researchers assessed 1,412 patients with MF who were stratified by BM blasts and therapy.
Among the cohort, 7% had 5% to 9% BM blasts, while 4% had ?10% BM blasts. A total of 44% of patients were treated with ruxolitinib during their disease course.
Median overall survival (OS) was 64 months among patients with 0% to 1% BM blasts, 48 months among patients with 2% to 4% BM blasts, and 22 months among patients with 5% to 9% BM blasts (P<0.001).
Patients with 5% to 9% BM blasts had similar OS compared with patients with ?10% BM blasts (22 months vs. 14 months; P=0.73). All patients with <10% blasts who were treated with ruxolitinib had superior OS than those who did not receive ruxolitinib.
