ASH 2021 | Lower IPSS score associated with higher thrombosis risk in patients with myelofibrosis

Tiziano Barbui, MD, Bergamo Hospital Research Foundation, Bergamo, Italy, discusses the findings of a study looking at the clinical epidemiology of thrombosis in patients registered in the European Registry for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs). The rate of and risk factors for arterial and venous thrombosis in patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF) or post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF) were investigated in over 1000 patients. After a median of 3.8 years of follow-up, a total of 108 cases of thrombosis were recorded. Univariate analyses revealed that, as well as age and JAK2 mutation presence, IPSS score was significantly associated with thrombotic risk in PMF. A higher proportion of patients with low and intermediate-1 risk experienced thrombosis during follow-up compared with those with intermediate-2 or high risk IPSS scores. Prof. Barbui comments on the implications of these findings, emphasizing the need for anti-thrombotic prophylaxis in patients at high vascular risk. This interview took place at the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition congress in Atlanta, GA.