Pegylated interferon alfa-2a yields high rates of hematologic and molecular response in patients with advanced essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

We conducted a phase II study of pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFN-alpha-2a) in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV).

Patients and methods

Seventy-nine patients (40 with PV and 39 with ET) have been treated. Median time from diagnosis to PEG-IFN-alpha-2a was 54 months in patients with PV and 33 months in patients with ET. Eighty-one percent of patients had received prior therapy. The first three patients received PEG-IFN-alpha-2a at 450 microg weekly. As a result of poor tolerance, this dose was decreased in a stepwise manner to a current starting dose of 90 microg weekly. Seventy-seven patients are evaluable and have been observed for a median of 21 months.

Results

The overall hematologic response rate was 80% in PV and

SUBMITTER: Quintas-Cardama A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4881362 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature