International Journal of Hematology and Oncology 2023, Vol 33, Num 4 Page(s): 001-005
EVALUATION OF SPLENIC IRRADIATION IN THE TREATMENT OF IDIOPATHIC MYELOFIBROSIS PATIENTS

Kaan OYSUL1, Serdar SÜRENKÖK1, Murat BEYZADEOĞLU1

Gülhane Askeri Tıp Akademisi, Radyasyon Onkolojisi Anabilim Dalı, ANKARA

Keywords: Idiopathic myelofibrosis, Splenic irradiation
Splenic irradiation has been used in Idiopathic Myelofibrosis (IMF) in selected situations when other therapies were contraindicated or inefficient. This approach could improve the quality of life of patients by eradicating the intractable pain of splenomegaly and reducing the spleen size yet the data is score in the literature. We have assessed the effect of splenic irradiation in 8 patients with IMF between 1996 and 2004 at our center in this study. All patients were refractory to conventional therapies and presented with at least one of the following features: constitutional symptoms, splenic pain, splenomegaly, anemia requiring at least 2 units of erythrocyte suspension transfusion per month. The radiotherapy schedule plan consisted of daily fractions of 0.5-1 Gy. The mean total dose of radiotherapy per treatment was 8.3 Gy (range, 3-16 Gy). Splenic pain was relieved in 87.5% of the patients. Mean spleen reduction rate of the splenomegaly was 64.5% (range 40%-90%). Splenic irradiation was effective on constitutional symptoms, splenic pain, splenomegaly and effectively achieved palliation. Splenic radiotherapy can be used as an alternative therapy for IMF patients refractory to standard therapies.