title: Treatment of Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome With Lenalidomide in Clinical Routine in Austria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lenalidomide has demonstrated remarkable efficacy for therapy of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) associated with 5q(-). The present evaluation aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of low-risk MDS patients treated with lenalidomide in Austria.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this retrospective, multicenter, observational analysis of MDS patients who received lenalidomide, data were collected at various hospitals in Austria over a period of 3 years. MDS classification, previous and current MDS therapies, and outcome and safety of lenalidomide were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-six percent of the patients (n = 23) had a 5q(-) syndrome, while 12% (n = 6) exhibited 5q(-) plus additional aberrations or isolated 5q(-) but ≥ 5% blasts in the bone marrow (10%, n = 5). The remaining 32% of patients (n = 16) had MDS with other World Health Organization classifications. Seventy percent belonged to lower International Prognostic Scoring System risk classes. Sixteen centers participated, involving a total of 50 patients. Most frequently used lenalidomide doses were 10 mg and 5 mg on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle. Seventy-five percent of the patients received 11 months of treatment, with a median therapy period of 3.5 months; median follow-up was 3.9 months (range, 0-26 months). Response rate, defined as transfusion independence during the 2 months after lenalidomide therapy, was 64%. Median overall survival was not reached.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lenalidomide was well tolerated and is an effective and well-tolerated option for therapy of patients with 5q(-) syndrome but also lower-risk MDS patients with other World Health Organization classifications in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine I, Medical Oncology, Hematology and Gastroenterology, Bamherzige Schwestern Hospital, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aschauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, Hospital Salzburg-Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greil
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Linkesch
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nösslinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stauder
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine IV, Hospital Wels-Grieskirchen, Wels, Austria.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burgstaller
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Natters, Natters, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiegl
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, General Hospital Linz, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fridrik
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Elisabethinen Hospital Linz, Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girschikofsky
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Leoben, Leoben, Austria.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine I, Medical Oncology, Hematology and Gastroenterology, Bamherzige Schwestern Hospital, Linz, Austria. Electronic address: andreas.petzer@bhs.at.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000748:Anemia, Macrocytic / Q000235:genetics; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001317:Austria; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002895:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5 / Q000235:genetics; D015897:Comorbidity; D018450:Disease Progression; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077269:Lenalidomide; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D059039:Standard of Care; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D013792:Thalidomide; D000077269:Lenalidomide
keywords: 5q deletion; Lenalidomide; MDS clinical practice; Myelodysplastic syndromes