Significance of cytogenetic abnormalities in patients with polycythemia vera. Issue 12 (December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sever, Matjaz; Quintás-Cardama, Alfonso; Pierce, Sherry; Zhou, Lingsha; Kantarjian, Hagop; Verstovsek, Srdan
• Is Part Of: Leukemia & lymphoma. Volume 54:Issue 12(2013:Dec.)
• Page Start: 2667
• Page End: 2670
• Publication Date: 2013-12
• Subjects: Leukemia -- Periodicals; Lymphomas -- Periodicals; 616.99419
• DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2013.784970
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1042-8194

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p>We analyzed 133 patients with polycythemia vera (PV) who were followed at our institution (median 7.5 years) and had adequate cytogenetics information. The 5-, 10- and 15-year survival rates were 93%, 79% and 64%, respectively, with a median projected overall survival of 24 years. Nineteen patients (14%) had abnormal cytogenetics at any time during the disease course (no survival difference). Sixteen patients (12%) underwent disease transformation during follow-up, after a median of 8.5 years, to myelofibrosis (<italic>n</italic> = 11), acute myeloid leukemia (<italic>n</italic> = 4) or myelodysplastic syndrome (<italic>n</italic> = 1); eight had cytogenetic abnormalities. Among 133 patients, 39 were newly diagnosed: 33 with normal and six with abnormal cytogenetics (no survival difference); nine underwent disease transformation (six with normal and three with abnormal cytogenetics at diagnosis). In keeping with other smaller series, the presence of chromosomal abnormalities may have had a role in disease transformation in patients with PV; survival was not affected likely due to short follow-up.</p> </abstract>