Survival in young patients with intermediate-/high-risk myelofibrosis: Estimates derived from databases for non transplant patients

Recent studies have suggested that allogenic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) might be a better treatment option, compared to drug therapy, for young patients with high-/intermediate-risk primary myelofibrosis (PMF). However, there are no controlled studies that validate this contention and allo-SCT is associated with a substantial risk of procedure-related mortality and morbidity. In a retrospective analysis of nontransplant PMF patients, who were both young (age <60 years) and with high-/intermediate-risk disease, 1- and 3-year survival estimates were 87% and 55%, 95% and 77%, 71% and 58%, respectively, involving patients seen at three different centers with expertise in PMF; these data did not appear to be inferior to those published in the context of either myeloablative or reduced-intensity conditioning allo-SCT. These observations underscore the need for controlled studies to accurately assess the value of allo-SCT in PMF. Am. J. Hematol. 84:140-143, 2009. (C) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.