A:

The cytopenias; anemia and thrombocytopenia are very bad for patients.

Patients will have a bad quality of life along the way, and overall survival is not very good. These patients really need new therapies, new views of what to provide to them for their benefit.

Q:

What have you been thinking about, Dr V?

Q:

BACK TO THROMBOCYTOPENIA. HOW SHOULD WE APPROACH IT?

A:

Thrombocytopenia, or low platelets, may be much more clinically relevant, particularly when the platelets are below 100,000.

The whole goal of managing cytopenic MF is to support the blood counts and not quicken their decline if we don’t need to.
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So when platelets drop below 100,000, standard practice drugs are difficult to or not to be given at all. With the platelets we really don’t have that option of transfusion, like anemia, or at least we don’t want to get to that level where we have to transfuse patients so often. Life with low platelet levels is a dangerous one. You bleed. You fall, you’re going to bleed; you cut your finger doing something in the kitchen, you’re going to bleed.