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Most patients with polycythemia vera (PV) are treated with phlebotomy, which provides symptomatic improvement. However, rapidly rising erythrocyte, platelet, or leukocyte counts in PV patients pose risk for bleeding or thrombosis and require cytoreductive therapy. Furthermore, progressive splenomegaly and marrow fibrosis might indicate the need for more-aggressive treatment. Chemotherapy, usually in the form of hydroxyurea, often is prescribed; but this therapy is associated with toxicities such as skin ulceration and gonadal dysfunction and also can be leukemogenic. An alternative therapy that seems to avoid these adverse effects is interferon, which often is recommended for the treatment of younger patients with PV. French researchers rep…