A comparison between erythrocytapheresis and venesection for the treatment of JAK2‐mutated polycythaemia

Background JAK2‐mutated polycythaemia vera (PV) is associated with reduced survival because of thrombotic events and haematological disease transformation. Therapeutic venesection has traditionally been used to lower haematocrit, but the technique of erythrocytapheresis has emerged over the last decade. Aim To compare erythrocytapheresis with venesection as treatment for PV by assessing medical efficacy and financial viability. Methods One hundred sixteen patients with PV who received red cell depletion therapy at Barwon Health between 2014 and 2021 were identified. The haematocrit drop after each session, interval between treatment times and number of sessions required to achieve a haematocrit