Study of Symptom Severity and Adherence to Therapy of Myelofibrosis Patients Treated with Ruxolitinib

Abstract

We aimed to explore symptom severity and adherence to therapy for patients with myelofibrosis treated with ruxolitinib in Bulgaria. It is a prospective, non-interventional study performed at the specialized hospital for active treatment of hematological diseases in Sofia during 2022–2023. Date of diagnosis, demographic characteristics, clinical indicators, ruxolitinib dose, and other data points were collected. Clinical indicators were assessed at baseline, in the middle, and at the end of observation. Severity of symptoms was measured with MPN-SAF TSS and adherence to therapy with the Morisky 4 questionnaire six times during the observation. The mean age of diagnosis was 58.5 years, with the average duration of disease of 3 years. Patients’ laboratory results were within physiological ranges, with spleen size experiencing a constant decrease. The average value for the severity of the symptoms per MPN-SAF TSS results decreased significantly, indicating better disease control. The average adherence to therapy did not change and remained high at around 9 points, except for one patient. In conclusion the treatment of myelofibrosis patients with ruxolitinib decreased symptom severity and spleen size. Patients were adherent to the therapy over the observed period, but as treatment duration increases, the risk of adherence decreases.