Present status of 32P-therapy in management of polycythemia vera.

The aim of this study is to assess the present status of 32P-therapy in the management of polycythemia vera. The nature of the disease and its associated clinical problems was considered with respect to the characteristics of the different therapeutic approaches. We concluded that 32P is preferably administered to older patients, especially if long term remissions are achieved, if drugs are taken unreliably, or if patients are difficult to supervise. At present chemotherapy is preferably administered to younger patients, to those who respond inadequately to 32P, or who demonstrate early relapsing hyperproliferation of granulocytopoiesis, or who require 32P-administration at intervals shorter than one year.