Tag Archive for: test results

Understanding Myeloma | How You Can Collaborate in Your Care

Understanding Myeloma | How You Can Collaborate in Your Care from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

This animated video reviews the types of myeloma, essential testing following a myeloma diagnosis, and advice for working with your healthcare team for the best overall care.

See More from Collaborate Myeloma

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Collaborate | Being an Empowered Myeloma Patient

Myeloma Support and Resources | Why It’s Essential to Voice Your Concerns

The Benefits of Shared Decision-Making for Myeloma Care


Transcript:

Bianca: 

Welcome back! I’m Bianca, and I’m a nurse. I specialize in caring for people with myeloma. And this is Suzanne, a myeloma patient advocate.  

In this video, we are going to learn more about diagnosis and testing, and how test results may impact myeloma care. 

Suzanne: 

That’s right, Bianca. Most patients want to–and should– understand their diagnosis. Let’s start with the basics. Can you explain the different types of myeloma? 

Bianca: 

You bet. Let’s start with MGUS, which stands for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. MGUS typically has no signs or symptoms and is characterized by an abnormal protein in the blood or urine. This type of myeloma doesn’t require treatment but should be monitored regularly. 

Smoldering myeloma is a very slow-growing type of myeloma. It also does not present with symptoms. Patients with smoldering myeloma have a higher chance of needing treatment, so blood and urine studies are ordered regularly. 

And then there’s multiple myeloma, which is a buildup of plasma cells in the bone marrow that crowds out healthy cells, and causes symptoms and other problems in the body. Multiple myeloma requires treatment, and there are a number of approaches available. 

Suzanne: 

Thanks for explaining the difference. When I was initially diagnosed, I underwent a series of tests that included a blood test, bone marrow biopsy, urine test, and imaging.  

Bianca: 

Those are the standard tests when diagnosing myeloma. Your healthcare team should also order a more in-depth FISH test, which comes from the bone marrow biopsy sample, and FISH  testing can provide a better understanding of your disease. This is important because the results may impact your treatment options. 

Suzanne: 

Right—and it’s important ensure that you have had all necessary testing including this more in-depth test. You should also review the lab results with your healthcare team. You can ask questions like:  

  • Am I high-risk or low-risk?  
  • What do the results mean? 
  • How will the results impact my options for therapy? 
  • And, how often should testing be repeated? 

Bianca: 

That’s good advice, Suzanne. All of the information gathered during your diagnosis, or following a relapse, should be considered as well as your overall health when deciding on a care plan.   

And, as you’ve modeled, working with your healthcare team to make therapy choices is essential. This is a process called shared decision-making, which basically means that patients and their providers collaborate on healthcare decisions. Participating in this process encourages patients to engage in their care, helping them to feel more confident about the approaches they choose. 

Suzanne: 

That’s right! Working WITH my healthcare team makes me feel included and brings peace of mind when considering my options.  

Bianca: 

That’s the way it should be—you should always be at the center of your care. So, when considering a plan with your healthcare team, here are a few key steps: 

  • Start by understanding your diagnosis. 
  • Develop a good relationship with your healthcare team so that you can participate in your care. 
  • Ensure you have had all essential testing, including in-depth testing. 
  • Discuss the tests results with your doctor and ask questions about what they mean. 
  • And, as always, do research on your own and confirm what you’ve learned with your healthcare team. 

Suzanne: 

And don’t forget to visit powerfulpatients.org/myeloma to view more videos with Bianca and me. Thank you for joining us!  

Thrive | What You Should Know About MPN Symptoms & Treatment Side Effects

Thrive | What You Should Know About MPN Symptoms & Treatment Side Effects from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How are MPN symptoms and treatment side effect managed? In this animated explainer video, an MPN specialist and myelofibrosis patient discuss the importance of clear communication with your healthcare team, the process for assessing common issues, and advice for advocating for yourself.

 

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Are There Predictors That an MPN May Be Progressing

Are There Predictors That an MPN May Be Progressing?

Myeloproliferative Neoplasm News and Research Updates

Myeloproliferative Neoplasm News and Research Updates

How Molecular Markers Affect MPN Treatment | Advances in Research

How Molecular Markers Affect MPN Treatment | Advances in Research


Transcript:

Brian: 

Hi, I’m Brian. Nice to meet you! I’ve been living with a condition called myelofibrosis for many years. While there have certainly been ups and downs, I’ve been able to navigate care for my condition and to live a full life.  

So how have I been able to do that? First and foremost, I have a great relationship with my care team, whom I communicate with regularly. Meet, Dr. Liu – my doctor. 

Dr. Liu: 

Hi! I’m Dr. Liu, and I’m a hematologist and a specialist in myeloproliferative neoplasms or MPNs. The three types of MPNs are essential thrombocythemia, or ET,  polycythemia vera or PV, and myelofibrosis, or MF.  This group of blood cancers is characterized by the bone marrow overproducing a certain type of cell.  

Maintaining a good relationship with your healthcare team, coupled with finding a treatment approach that works for you, can help you live a full life and to thrive with an MPN. 

Brian: 

Exactly, Dr. Liu. Over the years, I’ve experienced periodic issues with my condition. I’ve had symptoms and treatment side effects that have been bothersome and interfered with my life. But, communication with my team has been essential to feeling well.  

Dr. Liu: 

That’s right, Brian. When symptoms or treatment side effects are bothering you, it’s important to let your healthcare provide know how you are feeling. 

Brian: 

For example, recently I felt tired beyond general sleepiness. And when I shared this with Dr. Liu, we discussed potential causes of the fatigue, and we talked in-depth about my options to manage it, including changing therapy and some simple changes to my diet and lifestyle.1 Over time, my energy levels improved, but having the open dialogue with Dr. Liu was essential to tackling this symptom head-on. 

Dr. Liu: 

That’s a great example. When I first hear from a patient that they are having an issue, we go through several steps to find a solution.2  

We start by ensuring that the disease is well-controlled, so we check blood counts. Next, we try to determine if it is a symptom of the MPN or a side effect of the treatment. Once we’ve done those steps, we come up with potential solutions which may include, but are not limited to: 

  • A dose reduction or a treatment holiday. 
  • Changing therapy to find something that is more well-tolerated. 

Other considerations are dependent upon the specific symptoms and side effects but may include: 

  • Supportive care options, including diet and exercise. 
  • A visit to your primary care doctor to see if there is something else going on physically. 

Brian: 

That’s good to know, Dr. Liu. Something you brought up with me, which I feel is important to mention, is mental health. Often, emotional symptoms can take a toll on the body, causing fatigue or other issues. 

Dr. Liu: 

Great point, Brian. Seeking care for your mental health is crucial, particularly if you are in active treatment. 

Brian: 

Of course, we know that the symptoms and treatment side effects for MPNs can vary widely, so what advice do you have for patients who may be afraid to speak up? 

Dr. Liu: 

The most important thing to remember is that we have options to help you, no matter what you are going through. It’s your body and if you don’t let your provider know what you’re going through, they can’t help you. 

Brian: 

So true. It’s also a good idea to bring a care partner along to appointments, sometimes a spouse or friend can you help you communicate what’s going on. 

Dr. Liu: 

That’s great advice, Brian. Bringing someone along to take notes is a great idea. Also, be sure to write down any questions or concerns you have in advance to make the most of your appointment. 

Brian: 

OK, Dr. Liu, let’s recap your advice for MPN symptom management: 

Dr. Liu: 

Good idea! First, remember that everyone’s MPN is different, so managing symptoms and side effects can be tricky. Communicating with your healthcare team is critical to your overall care – report any and all concerns to your team immediately. 

And, do your part. Make sure you see your primary care physician regularly and do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Brian 

And, most importantly, remember you are at the center of your care. Never hesitate to share your opinion and to advocate for yourself. 

To learn more, visit powerfulpatients.org/MPN to access a library of tools. Thanks for joining us! 

AML Treatment Decisions | Understanding Factors That Impact Your Options

AML Treatment Decisions | Understanding Factors That Impact Your Options from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

An acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis can be different for each individual patient, so how is a treatment approach determined? AML specialist Dr. Jacqueline Garcia provides an overview of factors taken into consideration when choosing therapy, including age, overall health, and the patient’s preference. 

Dr. Jacqueline Garcia is an oncologist and AML researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Learn more about Dr. Garcia.

See More from Thrive AML

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Transcript:

Katherine Banwell:

With all the treatment options available, how do you decide who gets what? Tell us what is considered when choosing treatment for a patient. 

Dr. Jacqueline Garcia:

When I – this is a complicated question, because it’s not like you follow any particular algorithm. But when I meet a patient, I make a decision on what’s important to the patient and what’s  their goal. If I know – I need to understand their overall health to get a sense of are there ongoing competing risk factors that are active and more likely to impede with response, ability to deliver chemo, ability to get to transplant, something that tells me that’s not a possibility, or is their age too advanced – meaning greater than 75 – where we know that some of the treatments are not safe to deliver in that setting?   

So, I take a look at a patient’s overall health and age to make a decision. I take a look at bone marrow biopsy and lab findings to understand the flavor of their leukemia, from chromosomes to mutations. And because I am familiar with the data to give me a sense of what’s safe, what’s tolerable, and importantly what types of diseases, or subtypes of AML, would respond to one therapy over another, that’s how I formulate a recommendation.  

And based on all of that, all together, I’ll talk to them about treating the AML in steps. The first step is getting them into a remission, which can be done regardless of therapy type. That means to get their bone marrow under control, blood counts to recover. The second step, which is a more involved conversation that I often give a little bit of a hint of, but I go into greater detail over time, because we will see each other quite a lot, whether in the hospital or in clinic, is how to keep them in remission.  

And that’s where details about things like transplant come into play. I do my best to not overwhelm them, because when a patient hears the word transplant – and that’s often what they hear from family and friends because that’s what you can Google – they don’t know that there are many things, or many weeks of therapy, that have to happen in advance of transplant even being considered or happening. And transplant can’t even happen until someone’s in remission.  

But that is always on the forefront of a leukemia doctor’s mind, “Can I bring this patient to a transplantation? How successful will I be and what else do I need to give them to get them there sooner, safer, with a deeper response?” So, that way transplant could be successful. Transplant, by the way, is when we give a patient someone else’s stem cells that match their HLA typing, or their white blood cell signature.  

And it helps us to use someone else’s immune system to completely irradicate any microscopic leftover leukemia in a patient. But that is only successful when patients have good disease control or remissions. And that is only also successful if we have a donor for the patient, both of which  require at least several weeks to a couple of months of therapy. But that process is always initiated and ongoing in the background. And so, we often do this in piecemeal, because getting a diagnosis is already overwhelming. Learning about treatment is overwhelming.  

Learning about the frequency of labs, transfusions, being hospitalized, and then details about what a transplant would entail can be also overwhelming. But a lot of family and friends like to ask, because they feel like that is one way they might be able to help a patient. So, I know that they often eagerly ask the patient, “Well, what about this? How can I help?”  

Katherine Banwell:

Right. I can imagine that patient preference is also considered. But what kind of questions should patients ask about their treatment regimen?  

Dr. Jacqueline Garcia:

I always tell patients that I care very much about things like travel, hotels, all that jazz. But I always tell them let’s first talk about their health, what treatment I would recommend based on the available options and what their disease would mostly respond to, because I want it to be successful. And I always tell them let’s reserve questions on how it’s going to be done for last. I call that the logistics. I will never bring up or recommend something that could never be possible. But that being said, I try not to let the commute determine the decision.  

Whether or not there needs to be a hospitalization versus a hotel stay. I always consider then the background, but that financial decision should not drive the best treatment choice for a patient. Very fortunately, we’re in a country where patients have the ability – often, not always – to seek second opinions or to travel to academic centers.  

And because AML is an emergent or life-threatening disease, many insurance providers allow patients to come up to a big center to be treated, which I think is more than appropriate. So, we get into details of logistics last, because that’s the one thing that we can often overcome by providing additional resources and support. In terms of patient preference, if that’s what you mean with that, I would say I leave logistics to last, but we always consider and we do our best to accommodate.  

And that might be where we inform them we will look into getting a local partner to help us with additional therapies after the first month or upon discharge. So, it totally depends on the scenario for a patient, whether or not they have a local provider and a local hospital that could accommodate acute leukemia. I always tell patients ideally you don’t want to go to a place that only sees this once per year. You want to go to a place where everyone has seen it multiple times, including the nurses on the floors.  

So, that way, when there’s a complication, everyone knows what to do. We don’t want any “surprises” when it’s really just run-of-the-mill standard stuff for us every day. In terms of what patients desire, we always keep that in the conversation of their level of support. Can they swallow pills? Are they able to cope with being in and out of the hospital? All that stuff gets considered, but I think if they hear about the plan, about what’s required, when my expectation would be for a response, when the frequency of trips to a big city would decrease, how I could get a local partner to help with some of the lab or transfusion burden.  

Many of those preferences that they thought they had diminished, because they recognize that we found a way to make it work.  

Katherine Banwell:

Dr. Garcia, you mentioned earlier the fact that some therapies can cause a lot of side effects, like nausea. And certainly, speaking up and telling your healthcare team how you’re feeling and what some of the symptoms and side effects are, that’s really essential. What is the impetus for someone to consider changing treatment if something is just absolutely not agreeing with them?  

Dr. Jacqueline Garcia:

So, there are many reasons to change a treatment. One is a patient doesn’t tolerate it. It depends on what the issue is. Is it something that’s serious, like a liver or enzyme abnormality that is very abnormal, or a new cardiac problem where it would warrant a change or a dose reduction? That makes sense. There is definitely – often, there’s a lot of guidance in the package inserts or within a clinical trial and how to manage that. But if patient has some intolerabilities that could be overcome with standard supportive care methods, I would make sure we’ve done that.   

So, I would make sure you give you medical team the chance to fix any nausea. We have so many great antinausea drugs. I would want to make sure – or if constipation or diarrhea. It’s often a GI issue that patients get really bothered by.  

I would try to delineate whether or not the side effect was really from the chemo or is from the leukemia that is not yet under control. Or is it another medical condition or a drug-drug interaction that was missed. So, I would do my best to make sure there wasn’t something that was fixable or something else that should be addressed. We otherwise would recommend changing therapy for an extreme intolerability if there was another equivalent better option. And if someone’s disease does not respond to treatment, then we would consider another therapy, too.  

How Can You Thrive With an MPN? Advice for Navigating Care.

How Can You Thrive With an MPN? Advice for Navigating Care. from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can you thrive with an MPN? In this animated explainer video, an MPN specialist and myelofibrosis patient discuss how to make informed decisions about your care and live a full life with an MPN.

 

Related Programs:

Thriving With an MPN | Tips for Managing Worry and Anxiety

Thriving With an MPN | Tips for Managing Worry and Anxiety

Finding an MPN Treatment Approach That Is Right for You

Finding an MPN Treatment Approach That Is Right For You

How Can Patients Navigate Care and Thrive With an MPN?

How Can Patients Navigate Care and Thrive with an MPN?


Transcript:

Brian: 

Hi, I’m Brian. Nice to meet you! Many years ago, I was diagnosed with a condition called myelofibrosis. At first, it was a scary to learn that I had cancer, but once I found the right treatment option for me, I’ve been living a full life.  

Meet, Dr. Liu – my doctor. 

Dr. Liu: 

Hi! I’m Dr. Liu, and I’m a hematologist specializing in the care of people with myeloproliferative neoplasms or MPNs.   

MPNs are a group of blood cancers that are characterized by the bone marrow overproducing a certain type of cell. The three types of MPNs are essential thrombocythemia, or ET,  polycythemia vera or PV, and myelofibrosis, or MF. 

As Brian mentioned, with the right treatment, it is possible to live a full life and to thrive with an MPN. 

Brian: 

It’s so true. Navigating my care has been much easier because I partner with my healthcare team – participating in decisions makes me feel like an important member of the team. 

Dr. Liu: 

That’s right, Brian. When considering treatment, it’s important to weigh all of your options.  

While your healthcare team is the expert when it comes to the clinical side of your disease, you as the patient, are the expert on how treatment will impact YOU and your lifestyle.  

Brian: 

And as someone who knows my needs well, my wife is another key member of my team.  She comes with me to appointments and takes notes during visits, and when it is time to make decisions about my care, we both feel well-informed about the options. 

So, Dr. Liu – what factors should be considered when choosing an MPN treatment?  

Dr. Liu: 

Well, it’s important to note that everyone’s MPN is different so what may work for one person, may not work for another. In general, we consider certain factors,1 such as: 

  • The type of MPN, whether it is ET, PV, or MF. 
  • The patient’s age and overall health. 
  • Test results, including blood work or any genetic testing that has taken place. 
  • The symptom burden, which basically means how much the disease symptoms are interfering with a patient’s quality of life. 
  • Any pre-existing health issues. 
  • Finally, and most importantly, the patient’s preference.  

Brian: 

And I like to make informed decisions. So, when considering therapy, I also did some research on my own, and then discussed the information with my healthcare team. It helped my wife and me understand what we’d learned, and confirmed our decision. 

Dr. Liu, what sort of questions should patients ask their doctor when considering a treatment plan? 

Dr. Liu: 

Great question. When choosing therapy, patients should ask: 

  • How is the treatment administered, and how often will I need treatment? 
  • What are the potential side effects of the treatment? 
  • How will the effectiveness of the treatment be monitored? 
  • And, what are options if this treatment doesn’t work for me? 

Brian: 

That’s great advice. Once you’ve begun treatment, it’s important to continue to share how you are feeling with your healthcare team – be sure to mention any side effects or symptoms you may be having with your team. 

Dr. Liu: 

That’s right, Brian. If you speak up about what’s bothering you, we can usually find a way to manage the issue. 

It’s also important point to tell your doctor if you’ve missed a dose of your medication. Many of the newer MPN therapies are self-administered, and it’s important to let us know so we can adjust the plan if necessary. 

So, what steps should you take to thrive in your life with an MPN? 

Brian: 

  • First, understand and participate in treatment decisions. Be sure to share your personal preferences. 
  • Then, communicate regularly with your healthcare team – don’t wait to share information only when you have an appointment.  
  • And, utilize your whole team – nurses, nurse practitioners, and others, are all there to help you. 
  • Use your patient portal. You can view lab work and test results, or even use the messaging feature to communicate with your team. 
  • Bring a friend or loved one to appointments and always write down any questions or concerns in advance.  

Dr. Liu: 

And, most importantly, remember you are at the center of your care. Advocate for yourself! 

To learn more, visit powerfulpatients.org/MPN to access a library of tools. Thanks for joining us! 

How to Make an Informed Myeloma Treatment Decision

How to Make an Informed Myeloma Treatment Decision from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

When faced with several treatment options, how can you decide on the best therapy for your myeloma? In this explainer video, Sandra and her doctor walk through important considerations when choosing a plan, and provide advice for partnering with your healthcare team.

Download our Myeloma Office Visit Planner to help you have productive conversations with your healthcare team, here.

See More From Engage Myeloma


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Myeloma Treatment: When Should a Clinical Trial Be Considered?

 


Transcript:

Sandra:

Hi, I’m Sandra. Nice to meet you!

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I had bone pain and felt very tried so I went to see my doctor – my bloodwork indicated that it may be multiple myeloma and I was referred to a hematologist.

After a series of tests, my diagnosis was confirmed. I was overwhelmed when I learned that I had a blood cancer, but my hematologist, Dr. Reynolds, told me more about the condition and how it’s managed.

Here’s Dr. Reynolds – she can explain it further.

Dr. Reynolds:

Hi! I’m Dr. Reynolds, and I’m a hematologist specializing in the care and treatment of people with myeloma. The different types of myeloma are:

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or MGUS (pronounced em-gus or M-Gus). MGUS typically has no signs or symptoms and is characterized by an abnormal protein in the blood or urine.

And, smoldering myeloma, which is a very slow-growing type of myeloma. It also does not present with symptoms. Patients with smoldering myeloma have a higher chance of needing treatment, so blood and urine studies are ordered regularly.

Last is multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a buildup of plasma cells in the bone marrow that crowds out healthy cells, causing symptoms and other problems in the body.

Sandra:

As part of my diagnosis, Dr. Reynolds ordered a series of tests that included a blood test, bone marrow biopsy, urine test, and imaging.

Dr. Reynolds:

That’s right. We also did additional testing to identify any specific chromosomal or DNA abnormalities to get a better understanding of the genetic nature of the myeloma cells. The results of these tests helped us learn more about the extent of Sandra’s myeloma, her prognosis, and which treatment plan could be most effective.

Sandra:

After I was diagnosed and we had all of my test results, I met with Dr. Reynolds, and she walked me through the goals of treatment for my myeloma.

Dr. Reynolds:

Right! First, we talked about the clinical goals of treatment, which are to slow the progression of the disease and to induce remission.

And, it’s important to note that because each person’s myeloma is different, they are treated differently – be sure to discuss the specific goals of YOUR myeloma with your doctor.

Sandra and I reviewed the effectiveness of each treatment option, including how treatment would be administered, and took all of her test results into consideration to make sure we found the best, most personalized treatment option for her myeloma.

Sandra:

Next, we talked about another key treatment goal: symptom management. Dr. Reynolds asked me to let her know about any symptoms that I experience.

Dr. Reynolds:

Exactly, Sandra. A significant change in symptoms can indicate that it may be time to adjust treatment, if the symptoms are due to the prescribed medication, or that the disease might be changing.

Common symptoms may include fatigue or weakness, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, and weight loss, among others. This is why it’s important to not only have lab work and regular visits with your hematologist, but it’s essential to share about any symptoms you may be having, even if you don’t think it’s related to your myeloma.

And, last but not least, we discussed the most important treatment goal: Sandra’s goals. Sandra let me know that she’s very social and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family – we wanted to make sure she could continue doing the activities she loves.

Sandra:

Then, Dr. Reynolds reviewed each of the treatment approaches with me, including potential side effects and how it may impact my lifestyle. We discussed the pros and cons of each option, and we went over what our next steps would be if the treatment plan needed to be adjusted.

Dr. Reynolds:

Exactly! When deciding on therapy, you and your doctor may also consider:

  • Your age and overall health,
  • Any presence or history of other medical problems, and
  • The financial impact of a treatment plan.

Sandra:

In addition to asking questions, my sister, Beth, took notes during our appointments, since it was often hard for me to absorb everything at once.

We also made sure to talk about the appointment on our way home, while the information was fresh on our minds. And we did our part by researching myeloma and bringing a list of questions to each appointment.

Beth found an office visit planner on the Patient Empowerment Network website that helped me organize my health info and questions.

Dr. Reynolds:

As you can see, Sandra and her sister were actively engaged in each care decision. It’s vital that patients feel empowered to speak up. If you can, bring a friend or loved one along to your appointment.

And, if you are able, it’s a good idea to seek a second opinion or a consultation with a myeloma specialist to help you feel confident in your care decisions.

Sandra:

Dr. Reynolds let me know that she would monitor my condition through regular physical exams, blood work and frequent communication. She made Beth and I feel included in the decision-making process, as if it were a collaboration.

Dr. Reynolds:

That’s right! This is a partnership. So, what steps can you take to be more engaged in your care?

  • Bring a friend or loved one to your appointments.
  • Understand and articulate the goals of your treatment plan.
  • Ask about relevant myeloma testing.
  • Learn about your options and weigh the pros and cons of each approach.
  • And, consider a second opinion or a consult with a specialist.

Sandra:

That’s great advice, Dr. Reynolds. To learn more, visit powerfulpatients.org/myeloma to access a library of tools.

Thanks for joining us!

How to Make an Informed MPN Treatment Decision

How to Make an Informed MPN Treatment Decision from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

When faced with several options, how can you decide on the best therapy for your essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV), or myelofibrosis (MF)? In this explainer video, Katrina and her doctor walk through important considerations when choosing treatment and provide advice for partnering with your healthcare team.

See More from Engage

Related Programs:

What’s YOUR Role in Making Myelofibrosis Treatment Decisions?

Primary vs. Secondary Myelofibrosis: What’s the Difference?

COVID-19 Vaccination: What Do Myelofibrosis Patients Need to Know?


Transcript:

Katrina:

Hi, I’m Katrina. Nice to meet you!

Several years ago, I started having headaches and felt very tired. After a trip to the doctor and undergoing bloodwork, I was diagnosed with polycythemia vera, or PV, which is a rare blood cancer that causes my body to produce too many blood cells. It was overwhelming at the time to learn that I had a blood cancer, but my hematologist, Dr. Liu, told me more about the condition and how it’s managed.

Here’s Dr. Liu–she can explain it further.

Dr. Liu:

Hi! I’m Dr. Liu, and I’m a hematologist specializing in the care and treatment of people with myeloproliferative neoplasms or MPNs. MPNs are a group of blood cancers that are characterized by the bone marrow overproducing a certain type of cell. Katrina was diagnosed with PV, which is one of the three MPNs. The three types of MPNs are:

Essential thrombocythemia, or ET, which means that the body is producing too many platelets. The second is polycythemia vera or PV. PV is characterized by the overproduction of red blood cells, and, in some cases, elevated white blood cells and platelets. And the third is myelofibrosis or MF, which causes scarring in the bone marrow that disrupts the normal production of blood cells.

When a patient is diagnosed with any of these conditions, there is a chance they could progress from one condition to the next.

Those that have been diagnosed with ET, PV or MF, should have regular visits with their hematologist to monitor their condition and find the most appropriate treatment to manage their MPN.

Katrina:

After I was diagnosed, I met with Dr. Liu and she walked me through the goals of treatment for PV.

Dr. Liu:

Right! First, we talked about the clinical goals of treatment for PV, which are to reduce the risk of a blood clot and ease or eliminate any symptoms.

And, it’s important to note that because each of the MPNs is different, they are treated differently – be sure to discuss the specific goals of YOUR MPN with your doctor.

Katrina and I reviewed the effectiveness of each treatment option, including how treatment would be administered, and took all of her test results into consideration to make sure we found the best, most personalized treatment option for her PV. Then, we went over what our next steps would be if the treatment plan needed to be adjusted.

Katrina:

Next, we talked about another key treatment goal: symptom management. Dr. Liu let me know that I should make her aware of any symptoms that I may be having, even if I don’t think it’s related to my PV.

Dr. Liu:

Exactly, Katrina. A significant change in symptoms can indicate that it may be time to switch treatments or that the disease might be changing. Those symptoms may include enlarged spleen, fever, itching, fatigue and anemia, among others. This is why it’s always important to not only have blood counts checked regularly, but it’s essential to tell your doctor or nurse about any symptoms you may be having, even if you don’t think it’s related to your MPN.

And, last but not least, we discussed the most important treatment goal: Katrina’s goals. Katrina let me know that she’s very social and enjoys playing golf and tennis with her friends – we wanted to make sure she could continue doing the activities she loves.

Katrina:

Dr. Liu reviewed each of the treatment approaches with me, including potential side effects for every therapy and how it could impact my lifestyle. We discussed the pros and cons of each option, together.

Dr. Liu:

Exactly! When deciding on therapy, you and your doctor may also consider:

Your age and overall health, any presence or history of other medical problems, and the financial impact of a treatment plan.

Katrina:

In addition to asking questions, my daughter, Sarah, took notes during our appointments, since it was often hard for me to absorb everything at once.

We also made sure to talk about the appointment on our way home, while the information was fresh on our minds. And we did our part by researching PV and bringing a list of questions to each appointment.

Sarah found an office visit planner on the Patient Empowerment Network website that helped me organize my health info and questions.

Dr. Liu:

As you can see, Katrina and her daughter were actively engaged in each care decision. It’s vital that patients feel empowered to speak up. If you can, bring a friend or loved one along to your appointment.

And, if you are able, it’s a good idea to seek a second opinion or a consultation with an MPN specialist to help you feel confident in your care decisions.

Katrina:

Dr. Liu let me know that she would monitor my condition through regular physical exams, blood work and frequent communication. She made Sarah and I feel included in the decision-making process, as if it were a collaboration.

Dr. Liu:

That’s right. This is a partnership. So, what steps can you take to be more engaged in your MPN care?

  • Bring a friend or loved one to your appointments.
  • Understand and articulate the goals of your treatment plan.
  • Learn about your options and weigh the pros and cons of each approach.
  • Consider a second opinion or a consult with a specialist.

Katrina:

That’s great advice, Dr. Liu. To learn more, visit powerfulpatients.org/MPN to access a library of tools.

Thanks for joining us!