Patient- vs physician-reported symptom burden in MPN: A GSG-MPN intraindividual analysis

MPN are associated with numerous symptoms that can severely impact patient QoL and ability to conduct activities of daily living.¹ Whilst previous studies have demonstrated differences in patient- vs physician-reported MPN symptom burden, studies directly comparing perception of symptom burden between matched patient and physician responses are lacking.¹

Manz et al.¹ conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 3,979 patients with MPN (38% ET, 33% PV, 21% PMF, and 8% other/unclassified MPN) from the GSG-MPN Bioregistry to provide an intra-individual comparison of patient- and physician-reported symptom burden, with a focus on the impact of symptom burden on OS. Patient symptom ratings were assessed using a modified MPN-SAF-TSS assessment and matched with physician assessments conducted within 3 months. Findings were published in Leukemia.¹

Fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom by both patients and physicians. However, reports of fatigue were significantly different between patients (82% to 85%) and physicians (26% to 36%) (p < 0.001).

These findings suggest significant discrepancies in symptom recognition between patients and physicians (with physicians underestimating the presence of symptoms) and demonstrate the association of severe patient-reported outcomes with survival, highlighting the need for careful patient-reported symptom assessment using validated tools, both in routine clinical practice and clinical trials.