The MDS Beacon™

Some of the latest in research on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s 2010 Annual Meeting, set to kick off June 4 in Chicago. MDS presentations will be held June 5 through the meeting’s second to last day, June 7.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) expects 30,000 cancer specialists from all over the world to attend this year’s meeting.  More than 4,000 presentations will be given. Abstracts for these presentations have been released, and 20 MDS-related abstracts are available.

The MDS Beacon will report on the meeting’s key studies on MDS. In the coming weeks, readers can expect several articles on ASCO research.

On Saturday, June 5, poster sessions will feature presentations on developing prognoses for and treating MDS. Several of the studies to be presented examined the role of methylation, a chemical process in the body that inactivates genes, in MDS patient outcomes. Another study looks at using levels of different proteins in the blood as prognostic markers. In treatment research, ASCO Annual Meeting presenters will show posters on Dacogen (decitabine) and Revlimid (lenalidomide) for people with MDS.

On Sunday, June 6, physician-led education sessions will discuss prognoses and treatment drugs for MDS.

On Monday, June 7, a poster session for in-progress clinical trials—new this year for ASCO—will include a presentation on a Phase 1/2 trial on using Promacta (eltrombopag) to treat thrombocytopenia, or low platelet counts, in people with MDS. The session will also feature a Phase 1 trial on a new drug, panobinostat, in combination with Vidaza (azacitidine), for people with MDS.

Later that evening, ASCO cancer doctors will hold a panel on general cancer concerns, such as clinical trials and prevention, for people with cancer and their families, friends, and caregivers. The event is free, but patients need to register at ASCO’s “Answers to Cancer” Web page.

For a complete list of MDS presentations, the ASCO offers targeted itineraries. Those interested should consult the Leukemia, Myelodysplasia, and Transplantation itinerary.

For more information on the ASCO Annual Meeting, including registration forms and access to abstracts, please see the ASCO website.