Initial Therapy Of Polycythemia Vera (Pv) With Interferon Alfa (Rifna) Compared To Hydroxyurea (Hu) Or Phlebotomy Only (Phl-O) Is Associated With A Lower Risk Of Secondary Myelofibrosis

Background. Interferon alpha (rIFNa) has been used as an initial therapy for polycythemia vera (PV) at our institution since the 1980s owing to its efficacy and tolerability at the administered doses(Silver, 2006), and because of emerging evidence that it may alter its natural history(Kiladjian, Giraudier, & Cassinat, 2016). The European Leukemia Net 2018 and other groups included rIFNa in the initial management recommendations of PV. However, there is a need for studies comparing long-term outcomes of patients treated with rIFNa to those treated with standard-of-care, Hydroxyurea (HU) or Phlebotomy only (PHL-O) in the initial setting.