Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Introduction: Myelodysplastic Neoplasm (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of hematological malignant diseases characterized by cytopenias and by a variable risk of evolution to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Objective: To report the epidemiological profile of patients with low-risk MDS, the therapies used, and the morbidity and mortality outcomes. Methods: Data were collected from 62 patients with low-risk MDS, diagnosed between 2010 and 2020, excluding patients with secondary myelodysplasia causes. Results: The median age at the diagnosis was 66 years. The most frequently used treatment was erythropoietin (EPO), with a positive correlation between serum erythropoietin levels below 500U/L and therapeutic response, with a correlation coefficient of 0.44 using the Cramer’s V test (p<0.05). The median overall survival for very low risk, low risk and intermediate risk was 70, 82 and 32 months, and median progression-free survival was 70, 60 and 13 months, respectively. Factors associated with lower survival included platelet count <50,000/μl at diagnosis (RR of 2.54, p = 0.005) and iron overload (RR of 2.1, p = 0.02) while a sustained response to erythropoietin for more than 12 months was associated with higher survival (RR of 0.23, p <0.001). Conclusion: This study reinforces the importance of risk stratification at the time of diagnosis, highlighting its correlation with survival outcomes. It is evident the relevance of iron chelation therapy in improving the overall survival of these patients, as well as the need to investigate alternative therapies for patients with loss of response to the use of EPO in less than 12 months.
Weber et al. (Sun,) studied this question.