PracticeUpdate: Conference Series - EHA 2018

Consider Interventions to Reduce Weight in Patients With Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Weight loss in combinationwith traditional therapymay improve symptomatology

myEloproliferative Neoplasms Trial), a large international survey conducted with MPN patients to investigate nutrition, sup- plement use, and symptoms. The goal of the NUTRIENT trial is to help craft dietary interventions for people with MPNs. The secondary analysis presented at EHA 2018 focused on the relationship of BMI to dis- ease characteristics and symptom burden. Symptom burden was assessed using the validated MPN10 symptom assessment ( J Clin Oncol 2012;30:4098-103). Participants in NUTRIENT complete an online survey. For the purposes of this cross-sectional study, a total of 1,025 sur- veys had the necessary data on MPN type, weight, height, and symptom burden. MPN types included essential throm- bocythemia (ET; n=392), polycythemia vera (PV; n=390), and myelofibrosis (MF; n=243). Patients were of typical median age (60.0 years) and female predomi- nance (74.9%) in keeping with previous MPN investigations. The overall self-reported mean BMI of respondents in the study was overweight (25.9, SD = 5.13). Distribution over the study’s four weight categories was as follows: 2.8% underweight, 45.7% normal weight, 32.4% overweight, and 19.1% obese. The mean BMI was not found to be signifi- cantly different amongMPN subtypes (25.8 ET, 26.3 PV, and 25.6 MF; P = .30). Male respondents were significantly more likely to have a BMI > 25 than female

Interventions to reduce weight in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms may be an effective strategy in combination with traditional therapy to improve symptomatology. M yeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), a group of rare, chronic blood cancers that affect bone

marrow function, are chronic hemato- logic malignancies that carry an elevated symptom burden including fatigue and pain. At present, stem cell transplantation is the only way to prevent progression of MPNs. Other factors, such as inflam- mation, can affect the disease, however. This understanding has led researchers to investigate the role that diet may play in influencing and managing this disease. There is a significantly reduced lifespan for patients with MPNs as compared to the general population ( J Clin Oncol 2012;30:2995-3001). Although elevated body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for MPN disease development, little informa- tion is currently available on the relevance of BMI in MPN symptomatology. “Understanding the relevance of BMI to symptoms may help to guide future efforts regarding disease development, pro- gression, symptom burden or [quality of life],” the research team, led by Robyn M. Scherber, MD, PhD, with the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, Texas, said in their abstract. The researchers used data fromNUTRIENT (NUTRitional Intervention among

" Understanding the relevance of BMI to symptoms may help to guide future efforts regarding disease development, progression, symptom burden or [quality of life]. " PRACTICEUPDATE CONFERENCE SERIES • EHA 2018 10