Erythropoietin and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor treatment associated with improved survival in myelodysplastic syndromeShow others and affiliations
2008 (English)In: Journal of Clinical Oncology, ISSN 0732-183X, E-ISSN 1527-7755, Vol. 26, no 21, p. 3607-3613Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Purpose To assess the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) plus granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment on survival and leukemic transformation in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
Patients and Methods We compared the long-term outcome of patients with MDS treated with EPO plus G-CSF (n = 121) with untreated patients (n = 237) with MDS using multivariate Cox regression with delayed entry, for the first time adjusting for all major prognostic variables (WHO classification, karyotype, cytopenias, level of transfusion-need, age, and sex).
Results The erythroid response rate to EPO plus G-CSF was 39%, and the median response duration 23 months (range, 3 to 116+). In the multivariate analysis, treatment was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.83; P = .002). Interestingly, this positive association was primarily observed in patients requiring fewer than 2 units of RBCs per month. Treatment was not linked to the rate of acute myeloid leukemia in any defined subgroup, including patients with an increase of marrow blasts or an unfavorable karyotype.
Conclusion The inherent risk of leukemic evolution in MDS makes the current investigation highly relevant, in light of the recent reports of potential negative effects of EPO treatment on outcome in patients with cancer. We conclude that treatment of anemia in MDS with EPO plus G-CSF may have a positive impact on outcome in patients with no or low transfusion need, while not affecting the risk of leukemic transformation.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
New York, N.Y.: Grune & Stratton , 2008. Vol. 26, no 21, p. 3607-3613
Keywords [en]
Aged, Anemia/drug therapy/etiology, Blood Transfusion, Cell Transformation; Neoplastic/*drug effects, Clinical Trials; Phase II as Topic, Erythropoietin/*therapeutic use, Female, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/*therapeutic use, Humans, Kaplan-Meiers Estimate, Leukemia; Myeloid; Acute/epidemiology, Male, Middle Aged, Myelodysplastic Syndromes/complications/*drug therapy/mortality, Precancerous Conditions/*drug therapy
National Category
Medical and Health Sciences Cancer and Oncology Surgery
Research subject
Oncology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-3762DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2007.15.4906PubMedID: 18559873OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-3762DiVA, id: diva2:138060
2009-01-052009-01-052017-12-14Bibliographically approved