New NCCN Guidelines outline diagnosis, treatment strategies for myeloproliferative neoplasms

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) are a group of blood cancers characterized by significant symptoms and a high risk of transformation into acute leukemia. These cancers—Myelofibrosis, Essential Thrombocythemia (ET), and Polycythemia vera (PV)—affect approximately 13,000, 134,000, and 148,000 patients in the United States, respectively.

To provide clinicians with the most up-to-date and comprehensive treatment recommendations, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) today published the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for MPN to specifically outline diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care strategies for Myelofibrosis. Myelofibrosis is a type of MPN that is the result—in most cases—of one of three genetic mutations within the JAK2 signaling pathway. Comprehensive recommendations for the management of ET and PV will be included in the subsequent versions of the NCCN Guidelines® for MPN.

NCCN Guidelines document evidence-based consensus-driven management to ensure that all patients receive preventive, diagnostic, treatment, and supportive care services that are most likely to lead to optimal outcomes.

"The management of MPNs has been variable in the past and largely driven by review articles and individual opinions. The NCCN Guidelines Panel for MPN hopes these inaugural Guidelines will help leverage the evidence base in MPN care for clear, well-informed, treatment guidelines to hopefully improve quality of care and provide better outcomes for patients with MPN," said Ruben A. Mesa, MD, FACP, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for MPN.

Dr. Mesa will present the new NCCN Guidelines in an educational setting during the NCCN 11th Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies™ on Friday, September 30, in a session titled, "Myeloprofilerative Neoplasms and Myelofibrosis: Evolving Management." To register, visit NCCN.org/HEM.

With the publication of the NCCN Guidelines for MPN, the library of NCCN Guidelines now includes 63 clinical guidelines detailing sequential management decisions and interventions that currently apply to 97 percent of cancers affecting people in the United States, as well as cancer prevention, detection and risk reduction, and age-related recommendations.

Available free-of-charge to registered users of NCCN.org and through the Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines Mobile Apps, NCCN Guidelines help oncologists make the major clinical decisions encountered in managing their patients by providing ready access to synthesized information. The NCCN Guidelines provide recommendations for appropriate care for most, but not all patients; however, all individual patient circumstances must be considered when applying these recommendations.

Source: National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)