[Advances in thalidomide therapy for idiopathic myelofibrosis].

Idiopathic myelofibrosis a Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative disorder. Potentially curative therapies, such as stem-cell transplantation, are reserved only for a minority of patients. Currently palliative therapies such as androgen and hydroxycarbamide are commonly used but with poor results. Thalidomide has anti-angiogenic effect and also can inhibit cytokines, and therefore plays a certain role in the treatment of a subset of idiopathic myelofibrosis.