Recommendation for an MPN Specialist at MD Anderson

[GardNerd]

With Dr. Verstovsek's retirement, does anyone have any recommendations for an MPN Specialist at MD Anderson? I see a local MPN specialist but go to MD Anderson once per year. I'd been seeing Dr. V, and want to make sure I do my homework before my next appointment. They'll simply reassign me to someone else, and I may want to be more specific.

On the lists that others have shared, I see these five names at MD Anderson:

1. Prith Rose

2. Naval Daver

3. Naveen Pemmaraju

4. Lucia Masarova

Thanks!

[flamboyant_hawking]

Hi GardNerd,

what do you mean by "retirement", he must be in his early 50s?

[GardNerd in reply to flamboyant_hawking]

I know! He sure does seem young. But I retired at 59, so who am I to talk?

KLCTCJ first mentioned it, and I called there yesterday to ask if he’d be retired by the time of my appointment in May. They said yes and that they’ve been reassigning his patients.

[flamboyant_hawking in reply to GardNerd]

I'm a natural worrier, so my alarms got triggered... I hope he decided to go to do something fun and as awesome as the work he did for all of us was.

[KLCTJC]

I am in the same boat. I hate he is retiring. I kind of hope in a few months or a year he will pop up somewhere else! I was surprised he was retiring but you never know what is going on in someone else’s life. I just hope he is retiring and doing something good!😊 I saw him last month and he recommended Lucia Masarova for me. He said she has been managing most of the interferon patients. I am nervous, I loved him! He said she was his fellow so hopefully she is a carbon copy! I was supposed to see her in May but I am going to reschedule til August because I have vacation and work stuff. But let me know if anyone else responds with another recommendation. I have a patient that had a SCT and he goes to MDA but I can’t remember who he sees. Likely one out of your list. Keep me posted especially if you end up going before August and if you like who you see!

[GardNerd in reply to KLCTJC]

I’ll definitely let you know what I learn. My appointment is in May. I thought her bio looked pretty good, and it mentioned she worked with Dr. V. My spouse liked the look of the bio of Dr. Pemmaraju. MD Anderson said they’d have someone call me to talk through options. I’ll let you know what I learn there, too.

[KLCTJC]

Thanks! I am trying to reschedule and haven’t heard anything back about it yet. And if you end up seeing her in May let me know if you like her.

[CatDoorMan]

Here is a video interview that was recently posted with Dr. Pemmaraju. youtube.com/watch?v=D5GqiRb...(Not working as expected?)

[GardNerd in reply to CatDoorMan]

Thanks for sharing this! I’m definitely going to watch it.

[dbus1417]

I am a patient of Dr. V and I was reassigned to dr. Pemmaraju yesterday. My first appt is in March!

[GardNerd in reply to dbus1417]

Thanks for sharing that. You might be interested in the video posted above by CatDoorMan. If you don’t mind sharing your experience after your visit, I’d be very interested in your impressions.

[ainslie]

He isn’t retiring as such, he isn’t working as a doc , he is going to work for a drug Co to help develop drugs for MF. He said that at the MPN conference in Phoenix a few days ago, I heard it. He will likely be good at that.

I was one of his patients ,more for a second opinion as opposed to treatment, he suggested Lucia for me with PV. I think MDA is writing everyone, I got a letter a few days ago.

[GardNerd in reply to ainslie]

Thanks for sharing this information. That’s great to hear. I agree — he’ll be very good in t his role.