title: Treatment outcome in a cohort of young patients with polycythemia vera.
abstract: The treatment of polycythemia vera in young adults is challenging, requiring one to run a balance between the increased risk of vascular complications, if left untreated, versus the potential of promoting secondary leukemia/myelodysplasia or cancer, if actively managed with chemotherapy. We report the results of a 20-year retrospective analysis in a cohort of 30 young adults with PV (median age 37 years, range 19-45) treated exclusively with phlebotomy, aspirin and hydroxyurea only in case of vascular complications occurring in the presence of thrombocytosis (platelet count > 600 × 10(9)/L). With this approach, vascular complications were no higher than in other published series, and secondary leukemia/myelodysplasia or cancer was not observed during a follow-up of 14 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Therapy and Hematology, San Bortolo Hospital, Viale Rodolfi 37, Vicenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Finotto
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fortuna
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodeghiero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053614:Janus Kinase 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018962:Phlebotomy; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; C507924:JAK2 protein, human; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D001241:Aspirin; D006918:Hydroxyurea