Gender Influences Clinical Characteristics of Classical Ph Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Objectives:

To explore the influence of gender on the clinical characteristics of patients with polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF), based on The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER).

Methods:

We used the ICD (International Classification of Diseases) for Oncology, third edition (codes 9950, 9961, and 9962) to assemble a retrospective cohort of patients with PV, ET and PMF diagnosed between 2000 and 2018 in SEER 18. Other exclusion criteria included unknown age and diagnosis by autopsy or death certificate only.

Results:

The cohorts enrolled 35645 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including 17416 male patients (48.9%) and 18229 female patients (51.1%). In male patients with MPNs, 9218 (52.9%), 5935 (34.1%) and 2263 (13.0%) patients were diagnosed as PV,ET and PMF respectively, in contrast with female patients with MPNs [6817 (37.4%), 9844 (54.0%) and 1568 (8.6%) respectively, P＜0.001]. Male patients developed MPNs at an earlier age than female patients [63(0-99) versus 67(0-99) years old，P＜0.001]. In subgroup analysis, the median age of onset in male patients with PV and ET was significantly younger than female patients [60(0-99) versus 68(0-99) years old and 64(0-99) versus 65(0-99) years old respectively，P＜0.001]. However, the median age at diagnosis in male patients with PMF did not differ with female patients [68(0-95) versus 69(0-99) years old，P=0.272]. Survival analysis showed similar overall survival (OS) between male and female patients with MPNs [59 (0-227) versus 58 (0-227) months，P=0.382]. But in PV patients, OS in male patients was superior to female patients, whereas male patients with ET and PMF suffered shortened OS than female patients [55 (0-221) versus 59 (0-227) months and 29 (0-222) versus 37 (0-213) months，all P value＜0.001].

Conclusion:

Gender influences clinical spectrum, age and OS of MPNs.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.