The MDS Beacon™

Turkish researchers showed that myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients responded best to Vidaza (azacitidine) when it was taken as a front-line therapy. The results of the study were presented at the 45th meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The study followed 26 patients who were diagnosed as having Intermediate-1, Intermediate-2, or high risk MDS. They were treated with Vidaza from 2002 to 2008 and received a median of two cycles.

At the end of the study, seven of the 26 patients were ineligible for evaluation. Ten (53 percent)…

The 45th meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) provided a forum for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) research from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. At the meeting, researchers presented a study that investigated the use of hypomethylating agents Vidaza (azacitidine) and Dacogen (decitabine) for patients with decreased kidney function and concluded that both agents are effective in this patient group.

Vidaza and Dacogen are hypomethylating, or demethylating, agents that allow DNA sequences to function normally. They remove methyl groups that are bound to…

At the 45th meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), researchers presented a Phase 2 study showing that Nplate (romiplostim) is effective in treating thrombocytopenia, a condition that causes low platelet counts in the blood. Researchers showed that Nplate raised platelet counts and decreased the need for platelet transfusions for patients with low and intermediate-1 risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Thrombocytopenia is a common symptom of MDS, and the only current treatment option is a platelet transfusion. Platelets are responsible for blood clotting, and…

Researchers from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston presented a Phase 2 study at the 45th meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) showing that Zolinza (vorinostat) in combination with idarubicin (Idamycin) and high-dose cytarabine (Cytosar-U) is effective as front-line therapy for high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients.

This study showed the triple combination to be safe, as patients did not experience any severe or life-threatening side effects.

There were 22 patients enrolled in the study; of these, three relapsed/refractory AML patients of…

On May 29 at the 45th meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), researchers from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston reported their review of randomized Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials comparing different dosing schedules of Dacogen (decitabine) in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients. Researchers found that increased numbers of treatment cycles are beneficial for MDS patients.

The Phase 3 trial participants (D-0007 and EORTC-06011) were given 15 mg/m2 intravenously over three hours every eight hours for three days every six weeks with supportive care.…