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

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.