Dr. Gerds on Addressing Anemia in Myelofibrosis

Aaron Gerds, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Hematology and Medical Oncology Department at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, discusses the adverse event anemia in patients with myelofibrosis.

Anemia is a really big issue in myelofibrosis, says Gerds; it affects around 40% to 50% of patients with the disease at the time of presentation. Furthermore, the most common treatment for myelofibrosis, JAK inhibitors, can lead to even more anemia. In fact, roughly 25% of patients who receive JAK inhibitors will become anemic over time, according to Gerds.

Anemia causes various complications in patients, including alloantibodies, transfusion reactions, and iron overload, adds Gerds. Additionally, it is burdensome for the patient to go to the cancer center, undergo screening, wait for the blood, and receive a transfusion; this can greatly impact their quality of life, says Gerds. For these reasons, ongoing research efforts aim to target anemia in patients with myelofibrosis, concludes Gerds.