title: Response to recombinant erythropoietin alpha, without the adjunct of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, is associated with a longer survival in patients with transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndromes.
abstract: This was a retrospective, comparative study focused on the extended follow-up of 192 transfusion-dependent patients with myelodysplastic syndromes treated (n. 83) or not treated (n. 109) with recombinant erythropoietin alpha (r-EPO) as single agent during the course of their disease. The results supported the safety of this treatment in the long term and also showed a significant survival advantage (median 52 months vs. 31 months, p<0.0095) in responding patients as compared to non-responding ones or to subjects never treated with r-EPO. At multivariate analysis, response to r-EPO maintained an independent prognostic value on OS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Onco-Hematology, Unit of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, IRCCS, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata", Via Padre Pio 1, 85028 Rionero in Vulture, Pz, Italy. p.musto@tin.it
authors.forename: Pellegrino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Musto
authors.forename: Oreste
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.forename: Maria Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Martorelli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pietrantuono
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guariglia
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mansueto
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Auria
authors.forename: Vitina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grieco
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchino
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sparano
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zonno
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lerose
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanpaolo
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falcone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor