Lenalidomide Treatment for Lower Risk Nondeletion 5q Myelodysplastic Syndromes Patients Yields Higher Response Rates When Used Before Azacitidine

Conclusion Lenalidomide appears to yield a higher HI-E rate in non-del5q LR-MDS when used as first-line therapy after ESA treatments failure. If validated in larger cohorts, lenalidomide rather than azacitidine should be considered for first-line therapy after ESA treatment failure. Micro-Abstract In patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) in whom treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) fail, optimal sequencing of lenalidomide and azanucleosides is unknown. In a retrospective analysis of patients who received azacitidine and lenalidomide, the erythroid hematologic improvement rate was 38% versus 12% when lenalidomide was used as first-line versus second-line therapy (P = .04). Use of lenalidomide before azacitidine should be considered after ESA treatment failure in LR-MDS.
Source: Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma and Leukemia - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research