Recombinant interferon-α may retard progression of early primary myelofibrosis: a preliminary report

Recombinant interferon-α may retard progression of early primary myelofibrosis: a preliminary report

Richard T. Silver1, Katherine Vandris1, and Joshua J. Goldman1

+ Author Affiliations

1Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
1.Presented in part at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology, San Francisco, CA, December 6, 2008.

Abstract
The limited effects of current treatments of primary myelofibrosis (PM) led us to prospectively evaluate recombinant interferon-α (rIFNα) in “early” PM patients with residual hematopoiesis and only grade 1 or 2 myelofibrosis. Seventeen patients meeting World Health Organization PM diagnostic criteria received either rIFNα-2b 500 000 to 3 million units 3 times weekly, or pegylated rIFNα-2a 45 or 90 μg weekly. International Working Group for Myelofibrosis Research and Treatment criteria for prognosis and response were used. Eleven patients were women and 6 were men. Their median age at diagnosis was 57 years. Eleven patients were low risk and 6 were intermediate-1 risk. Two achieved complete remission, 7 partial, 1 clinical improvement, 4 stable disease, and 3 had progressive disease. Thus, more than 80% derived clinical benefit or stability. Improvement in marrow morphology occurred in 4. Toxicity was acceptable. These results, with documented marrow reversion because of interferon treatment, warrant expanded evaluation.

full-text:
Recombinant interferon-α may retard progression of early primary myelofibrosis: a preliminary report