Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), while rare, are blood cancers that carry a significant symptom burden and can develop aggressively. Hear why community practices need to monitor symptoms carefully and about a new tool that can help assess symptoms more accurately and help care teams form treatment plans. In this episode, CANCERBUZZ speaks with Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, United Energy Resources Inc. professor of Medicine and hematologist oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas and Julie Huynh-Lu, PA-C and physician assistant in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center, about MPNs and the integration of the MPN10 questionnaire into the electronic health record (EHR).

"As we recognize that quality of life is one of the major factors that we are to correct, we need to have an objective way of measuring how bad the quality of life is. We now have a full-fledged questionnaire, the MPN-10, which has ten questions that identify the ten most common problems that patients with myelofibrosis suffer from– which is very useful information for us to see what we are facing when we see the patients, [identify] the time to treat, and whether the treatment is helping." –Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD

This is the first video podcast in a four-episode series on MPNs in connection with the education program "Advancing Care for Patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)."

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine

Hematologist Oncologist

MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas

Houston, TX

Julie Huynh-Lu, PA-C

Physician Assistant, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine

MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas

Houston, TX

Resources:

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (cancersupportcommunity.org)

MPN10: Track the Severity of your MF- or ET-related symptoms

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs): 7 questions, answered (MD Anderson Cancer Center)