Treatment of Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome With Lenalidomide in Clinical Routine in Austria

Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2015 Nov;15(11):e143-9. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2015.07.645. Epub 2015 Aug 5.

Abstract

Background: Lenalidomide has demonstrated remarkable efficacy for therapy of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) associated with 5q(-). The present evaluation aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of low-risk MDS patients treated with lenalidomide in Austria.

Patients and methods: For this retrospective, multicenter, observational analysis of MDS patients who received lenalidomide, data were collected at various hospitals in Austria over a period of 3 years. MDS classification, previous and current MDS therapies, and outcome and safety of lenalidomide were evaluated.

Results: Forty-six percent of the patients (n = 23) had a 5q(-) syndrome, while 12% (n = 6) exhibited 5q(-) plus additional aberrations or isolated 5q(-) but ≥ 5% blasts in the bone marrow (10%, n = 5). The remaining 32% of patients (n = 16) had MDS with other World Health Organization classifications. Seventy percent belonged to lower International Prognostic Scoring System risk classes. Sixteen centers participated, involving a total of 50 patients. Most frequently used lenalidomide doses were 10 mg and 5 mg on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle. Seventy-five percent of the patients received 11 months of treatment, with a median therapy period of 3.5 months; median follow-up was 3.9 months (range, 0-26 months). Response rate, defined as transfusion independence during the 2 months after lenalidomide therapy, was 64%. Median overall survival was not reached.

Conclusion: Lenalidomide was well tolerated and is an effective and well-tolerated option for therapy of patients with 5q(-) syndrome but also lower-risk MDS patients with other World Health Organization classifications in clinical practice.

Keywords: 5q deletion; Lenalidomide; MDS clinical practice; Myelodysplastic syndromes.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anemia, Macrocytic / genetics
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Austria
  • Chromosome Aberrations
  • Chromosome Deletion
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 / genetics
  • Comorbidity
  • Disease Progression
  • Erythrocyte Transfusion
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / administration & dosage
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Lenalidomide
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / drug therapy*
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / genetics
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / mortality
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / pathology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Standard of Care
  • Survival Analysis
  • Thalidomide / administration & dosage
  • Thalidomide / analogs & derivatives*
  • Thalidomide / therapeutic use
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Thalidomide
  • Lenalidomide

Supplementary concepts

  • Chromosome 5q Deletion Syndrome