Myelofibrosis (MF)-associated anemia appears to cause a significant strain in the Italian healthcare system and significantly impact the lives of both patients and caregivers, according to a recently published study in Frontiers in Oncology.
Anemia is a common MF complication, and studies indicate that over 50% of patients experience anemia during the course of their disease. A significant percentage of patients experience severe anemia and require transfusions. Furthermore, anemia is an important prognostic factor and correlates with poor outcomes.
“Anemia management in myelofibrosis (MF) remains a major challenge, often resulting in blood transfusions as the condition progresses,” the authors wrote. “The BEAT project aimed to quantify the economic and organizational burden of anemia and transfusions in MF patients in Italy from the patient and hospital perspectives,” they added.
The study collected data from 13 Italian reference centers through semistructured interviews with physicians and structured interviews with patients. After classifying patients according to anemia severity, prognosis, and need for transfusions, the authors fed the information to an analytical model.
Results showed that patients who require transfusions require approximately six times more time of care than patients with mild to moderate anemia or no anemia. Researchers remarked that over 40% of that time is spent waiting in healthcare centers. According to patient reports, transfusion dependency significantly impacted their daily lives and negatively impacted their professional activities.
Regarding costs, the authors observed that the estimated cost for transfusion-dependent patients is 26 times higher than for patients with mild-to-moderate anemia. Additionally, indirect social costs are 6 times higher in patients requiring transfusions.
The study highlights the need for new therapeutic alternatives that decrease the need for blood transfusions without producing significant adverse effects.
“These findings highlight the urgent need for optimizing MF-related anemia and transfusion management to help mitigate the economic strain on healthcare systems and lessen the time-related and emotional impact on patients and caregivers,” the authors concluded.
This article originally appeared on Rare Disease Advisor
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