Dr. Stein Discusses Changes to the NCCN Guidelines in MPNs

Brady L. Stein, MD, associate professor of medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, discusses changes to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).

It is important that community oncologists realize these new guidelines exist, explains Stein. Whether a patient has primary myelofibrosis, essential thrombocythemia (ET), or polycythemia vera (PV), treatment is largely based on risk classification and symptom profiles. In patients with ET or PV, the risk classification is largely looking for patients who are at risk for thrombosis.

There also may be patients with MPNs who are not necessarily high risk, but still have robust symptoms. If a patient shows symptoms, observation is no longer an appropriate course of action, says Stein.