Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in patients 60 to 70 years of age with de novo high-risk MDS or secondary AML – a comparison with patients lacking donors who received azacitidine Biol Blood Marrow Transplant

Standard first-line therapy for older patients with high-risk MDS consists of hypomethylating agents such as azacitidine (AZA). However, the only approach with curative potential remains allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). So far no direct comparison of both strategies has been carried out. The outcomes of two well balanced cohorts of high-risk MDS patients defined by age (60–70 years), performance status (ECOG ≤2) and donor availability (yes/no) were compared including 103 patients undergoing HCT and 75 patients without this option who received AZA. The estimated 2-year overall survival (OS) after the start of treatment was 39% (95% 2.9/3.9, p<0.001), cytogenetics (good vs. intermediate vs. poor, HR: 1.2/1.7, p=0.026) and type of treatment (HCT vs. AZA, HR: 0.3, p=0.007) were associated with OS. This retrospective cohort analysis suggests a survival advantage with allogeneic HCT compared to treatment with AZA in medically fit high-risk MDS patients 60 to 70 years of age, Prospective controlled studies are warranted.

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