Natural History of Polycythemia Vera
Authors: Roberto Marchioli
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1996)

Letters15 September 1996Natural History of Polycythemia VeraRoberto Marchioli, MD, Tiziano Barbui, MD, and Raffaele Landolfi, MDRoberto Marchioli, MDIstituto Mario Negri—Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, 66030 Santa Maria Imbaro, ItalyOspedali Riuniti Bergamo, Bergamo, ItalyUniversita Cattolica del Sacro Cuor, 00168 Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this author, Tiziano Barbui, MDIstituto Mario Negri—Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, 66030 Santa Maria Imbaro, ItalyOspedali Riuniti Bergamo, Bergamo, ItalyUniversita Cattolica del Sacro Cuor, 00168 Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this author, and Raffaele Landolfi, MDIstituto Mario Negri—Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, 66030 Santa Maria Imbaro, ItalyOspedali Riuniti Bergamo, Bergamo, ItalyUniversita Cattolica del Sacro Cuor, 00168 Rome, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-125-6-199609150-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Shpilberg and Shahar correctly emphasize that the main limitation of our study is inherent in its retrospective design. Thus, any finding should be interpreted cautiously, and any conclusion considered as a working hypothesis should be verified prospectively.Several hypotheses and open questions exist about the diagnosis of polycythemia vera, given the sparse or outdated data available [1]. Prospective studies of polycythemia vera whose results have been published are limited by small sample size and by discrepancies in inclusion criteria. Apart from the studies of the Polycythemia Vera Study Group [2] and the trial organized by the European Organization ...References1. Marchioli R, Landolfi R, Barbui T, Tognoni G. Feasibility of randomised clinical trials in rare diseases: the case of polycythemia vera. Leukemia and Lymphoma. [In press]. Google Scholar2. Berk PD, Goldberg JD, Donovan PB, Fruchtman SM, Berlin NI, Wasserman LR. Therapeutic recommendations in polycythemia vera based on Polycythemia Vera Study Group protocols. Semin Hematol. 1986; 23:132-43. Google Scholar3. Treatment of polycythemia vera by radiophosphorus or busulphan: a randomized trial. Leukemia and Hematosarcoma Cooperative Group, European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer (E.O.R.T.C.). Br J Cancer. 1981; 44:75-80. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Roberto Marchioli, MD; Tiziano Barbui, MD; Raffaele Landolfi, MDAffiliations: Istituto Mario Negri—Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, 66030 Santa Maria Imbaro, ItalyOspedali Riuniti Bergamo, Bergamo, ItalyUniversita Cattolica del Sacro Cuor, 00168 Rome, Italy PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 15 September 1996Volume 125, Issue 6Page: 514-515KeywordsAspirinCancer treatmentClinical trialsNatural history of diseasePolycythemia veraProspective studiesRandomized trialsRetrospective studies ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 15 September 1996 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1996 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...