A Conversation with an MPN Specialist: Polycythemia Vera

MPN Advocacy & Education International spoke with Dr. Prithviraj Bose, MD Anderson Cancer Center, to briefly discuss and answer numerous patient questions about polycythemia vera (PV).

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 A Conversation with an MPN Specialist: Polycythemia Vera
13:35 Does brain fog come from PV or could it be a side effect of my medication?
14:51 What can I do about the itching?
16:48 How would you compare Jakafi to the other JAK inhibitors?
17:52 Is there a way to tell who will do well on Jakafi?
20:50 What advice do you give to parents of younger children with an MPN?
23:34 Does your allele burden levels correlate to your risk of progression?
26:25 What blood tests confirm that you have the JAK2 mutation?
27:04 What can be done to help with the neuropathy and is this a side effect of PV or the medication I'm taking?
30:03 What are the ideal hematocrit numbers you like to see in your patients?
31:00 Can PV make you more prone to arterial plaque disease in your arteries?
31:35 How can patients manage fatigue and weight gain from PV?
35:04 Do you know anything about rapamycin use for PV?
35:47 Is there any testing to determine how long you have had PV?
37:34 I don't have a gene mutation and was still diagnosed with PV. Is this common?
38:17 What are your thoughts on combination therapy with pegasys and rusfertide?
39:49 Should PV patients be taking iron supplements or trying the carnivore diet if their iron levels are low?
40:35 Can PV contribute to kidney stones?
41:09 Can taking blood thinners or steroids slow down the progression of PV?
41:40 In patients with a high JAK2 mutation and others, how do you maintain a patient in the chronic stage and prevent progression?
43:58 Is PV considered a blood cancer or disease? Can a cure really be found?
45:21 Are stem cell transplants an option for PV patients?
46:30 Is there any correlation between PV and benign heart palpitations?
47:03 Do any medications I take for other issues interfere with inflammation or progression?
48:29 Do you see a lot of patients taking hydroxyurea with mouth sores?
49:22 What causes the itching?
50:12 What is my life expectancy with PV?
52:07 Are bone marrow biopsies necessary and when do you advise to have one done?