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. 2016 Jun;95(7):1185-9.
doi: 10.1007/s00277-016-2674-2. Epub 2016 Apr 23.

Pruritus in primary myelofibrosis: management options in the era of JAK inhibitors

Brianna E Vaa  1 , Ayalew Tefferi  2   3 , Naseema Gangat  2   3 , Animesh Pardanani  2   3 , Terra L Lasho  2   3 , Christy M Finke  2   3 , Alexandra P Wolanskyj  4   5
Affiliations

Pruritus in primary myelofibrosis: management options in the era of JAK inhibitors

Brianna E Vaa et al. Ann Hematol. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF)-associated pruritus is often severe and requires treatment. Fifty-one patients with bone marrow-proven PMF with associated pruritus were identified from a primary cohort of patients with PMF (n = 566) seen at our institution. We conducted a retrospective review of the clinical characteristics, severity of pruritus, type of treatment, and response of these patients. Thirty-two out of 51 patients (63 %) reported severe PMF-associated pruritus and required a total of 108 treatment episodes, with complete response (CR), partial response (PR) and no response (NR) observed in 22, 23, and 55 % of episodes, respectively. The most common treatment categories included JAK inhibitors (n = 19), anti-depressants (n = 18), and antihistamines (n = 17). Highest CR rates were observed in patients treated with a JAK inhibitor (53 %) and immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDS (50 %)). Emerging targeted therapies may result in better symptom control and higher response rates in patients suffering from severe PMF-associated pruritus.

Keywords: JAK inhibitors; Primary myelofibrosis; Pruritus; Treatment options.

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