The Hasford score is a prognostic scoring system used in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) to predict the likelihood of a patient's response to treatment and overall survival, particularly during the interferon treatment era. It's essentially a risk assessment tool.
Here's a breakdown:
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Purpose: To assess the prognosis of patients with CML. It helped doctors predict how well patients would respond to treatment, particularly interferon-alpha, and how long they were likely to survive.
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Era of Use: Predominantly used during the era when interferon-alpha was the primary treatment for CML, before the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) like imatinib. While still relevant for historical comparison, it's less frequently used for treatment decisions in the TKI era.
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Factors Included: The Hasford score takes into account several factors at the time of diagnosis:
- Percentage of blasts in the blood.
- Percentage of eosinophils in the blood.
- Percentage of basophils in the blood.
- Spleen size.
- Platelet count.
- Age.
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Risk Stratification: Based on these factors, patients are categorized into low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups. These risk groups correlate with differing survival probabilities.
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Relevance Today: While less commonly used for treatment decisions in the era of TKIs, the Hasford score remains valuable for:
- Comparing outcomes of different treatment strategies across different time periods.
- Risk stratification in situations where TKIs are not available or are not tolerated.
- Historical context in understanding the evolution of CML treatment.
In short, the Hasford score is a crucial tool for understanding CML prognosis and treatment outcomes, particularly in the context of interferon-based therapies, offering insights into patient survival and treatment response.
