When should someone with essential thrombocytosis (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), or myelofibrosis (MF) consider a clinical trial? Specialist Dr. Shivani Handa explains why clinical trials for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) can be an option at every stage and shares key questions patients should ask their doctor to help them make an informed decision.
Dr. Shivani Handa is a hematologist-oncologist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Handa specializes in myeloid malignancies, which includes myeloproliferative neoplasms, myelodysplastic syndrome, and acute leukemias. Learn more about Dr. Handa.
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Transcript
Dr. Shivani Handa:
My name is Dr. Shivani Handa. I’m a hematologist oncologist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio. I specialize in myeloid malignancies, that includes myeloproliferative neoplasms, myelodysplastic syndrome, acute leukemias. And my clinical research focus is also in myeloid malignancies where I lead and participate in the clinical trials for these patients.
Katherine Banwell:
When should a clinical trial be considered for people with MPNs?
Dr. Shivani Handa:
At every level. So, at diagnosis, at any time something’s not working right, symptoms are progressing, spleen size is increasing, patients are developing more anemia, they’re requiring transfusions. At the time somebody is progressing from ET/PV to myelofibrosis or from myelofibrosis to a more accelerated blast phase disease which is more like secondary leukemia. Yeah. I think at every single time point, we have a clinical trial to offer.
Katherine Banwell:
What questions should patients be asking their care team about clinical trials?
Dr. Shivani Handa:
I think they should really be asking if there is a clinical trial option for them. It usually tends to be the physician who is thinking about clinical trial, it doesn’t always come from the patient. So, I think just patients being more informed about options that are out there.
And then they should definitely be asking about how does the clinical trial compare to the standard of care? And what adverse events or toxicities are expected? And logistical questions like, is it feasible for them, is the time commitment something that they can commit to? But really, like, how do we think the clinical trial is going to help them?
And I find these days, more often than not, we as clinicians are more excited about clinical trials than standard of care because we know what standard of care can achieve. And really, with the clinical trial, the hope is it can do better than standard of care. So, I really encourage all my patients to ask about trials.
Katherine Banwell:
Dr. Handa, is there anything else you’d like to add about the evolution of MPN care and treatment? What are you excited about?
Dr. Shivani Handa:
So, there’s a lot to be excited about.
This disease is really rapidly evolving, we’re seeing so many new treatment options it’s hard to keep up with. I think eventually, and I really hope to see this in my career, that we change the focus from just symptom management to actually changing the disease biology and halting disease progression. So, that’s what I’m most excited about. There’s a lot to come.