Azacitidine In The Treatment Of Ph- Myeloproliferative Neoplasms In Blastic Phase: The Experience Of Gruppo Laziale For The Study Of Ph- SMPC

Prognosis of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms developing blast phase (MPN-BP) is very poor. Median survival of these patients is about 2-3 months (Cervantes F, Acta Hemathol 1991; Mesa RA, Blood 2005; Kantajian HM, Leukemia 1997; Tam CS, Blood 2008) and nowadays no drug can induce a durable complete response (CR) in patients who are not candidate to BMT. A phase II study (Thepot S., Blood 2010, 116, 3735) recently reported on 54 patients with MPN-BP treated with 5-AZA, showing a median survival of 9 months with an Overall Response Rate (ORR) of 52% (24% complete response).