Affiliation:
1. Department of Haematology University College Hospital London UK
2. Unit of Blood Diseases and Stem Cell Transplantation University of Brescia Brescia Italy
Abstract
SummaryManagement approaches for accelerated and blast phase myeloproliferative neoplasms remain challenging for clinicians and patients alike. Despite many therapeutic advances, outcomes for those patients who are not allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplant eligible remain, in general, very poor. Estimated survival rates for such blast phase patients is frequently reported as less than 6 months. No specific immunological, genomic or clinicopathological signature currently exists that accurately predicts the risk and timing of transformation, which frequently induces a high degree of anxiety among patients and clinicians alike. Within this review article, we provide an up‐to‐date summary of current understanding of the underlying pathogenesis of accelerated and blast phase disease and discuss current therapeutic approaches and realistic outcomes. Finally, we discuss how the horizon may look with the introduction of more novel agents into the clinical arena.