A more detailed exploration of responses to a cross-sectional survey from UK patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) revealed that both patients with MPN and their physicians report an overall high disease burden. These study findings were published in the British Journal of Haematology.1
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia, and polycythemia vera) are associated with many symptoms, such as debilitating fatigue, that can negatively affect patient quality of life and productivity, according to results from the 2017 Landmark Survey Study, a cross-sectional survey conducted in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.2 In that study, patients were assigned to symptom-burden quartiles based on their responses to the survey (ie, Q1 to Q4, representing those experiencing the lowest to the highest symptom burden, respectively).
In this study, responses to the Landmark Survey from 286 adult patients with MPN and 31 treating physicians from the United Kingdom were explored in detail. The rationale for this subgroup analysis was the finding that UK patients with MPN reported a higher disease burden; their physicians reported treating a higher number of patients with MPN and were more likely to report having insufficient time to address all MPN symptoms, compared with the rest of the world.2
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Compared with UK-based patients in MPN symptom-burden quartiles Q1 and Q2 (n=101), those in Q3 and Q4 (n=173) were more likely to report interference in family social life (58% vs 22%) and sex life (57% vs 24%). In addition, the patients in the high symptom-burden quartiles were more likely to report reduced work hours (34% vs 16%), voluntary termination of a job (17% vs 7%), and going on disability [leave] (12% vs 1%) compared with the patients in Q1 and Q2.
However, UK patients with MPN reported a reduced quality of life regardless of their overall symptom burden, suggesting a significant impact on quality of life for patients in the lower burden group.
The authors conclude that further support — strategies complimentary to telephone clinics and remote monitoring via mobile apps — is needed for patients with MPN and their physicians.
References
1. Harrison C, Mathias J, Campbell-Drew M, et al. UK results from the myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) landmark survey on the symptom, emotional and economic burden of MPN [published online March 10, 2019]. Br J Haematol. doi: 10.1111/bjh.15839
2. Harrison CN, Koschmieder S, Foltz L, et al. The impact of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) on patient quality of life and productivity: results from the international MPN Landmark survey. Ann Hematol. 2017;96(10):1653-1665.
