title: Age-related differences in disease characteristics and clinical outcomes in polycythemia vera.
abstract: The natural history and prognosis for young patients with polycythemia vera (PV) in the post-JAK2 V617F era are not well defined. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed disease characteristics and clinical outcomes in 120 patients ≤ 45 years and 84 patients ≥ 65 years at diagnosis. Despite lower white blood counts (9.2 vs. 13.4 × 10(9)/L, p = 0.004) and a lower JAK2 V617F allele burden (51% vs. 66%, p = 0.015), younger patients with PV had comparable rates of vascular complications compared to older patients (27% vs. 31%, p = 0.64). However, splanchnic vein thrombosis occurred more frequently in younger patients (13% vs. 2%, p = 0.0056). Myelofibrotic and leukemic transformation, the most serious complications of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), occurred with similar frequencies in young versus older patients (15% vs. 10%, p = 0.29). Prevention or delay of these complications is currently the most urgent challenge in the care of younger patients with PV.
authors.affiliation: Medicine and Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA. brady-stein@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Brady L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Santosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saraf
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sobol
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: Jamile
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shammo
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rondelli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Michaelis
authors.forename: Olatoyosi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Odenike
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rademaker
authors.forename: Anaadriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zakarija
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Jerry L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Spivak
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Moliterno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D011087:Polycythemia Vera / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D055728:Primary Myelofibrosis / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology