title: Azacitidine in outpatient treatment - single center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Azacitidine is a hypomethylating agent which is used in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Because of good tolerance to the drug, azacitidine can be administered both during hospitalization and in an outpatient setting. The aim of our retrospective analysis was to assess the efficacy of azacitidine treatment in patients with a myelodysplastic syndrome and with acute myeloid leukemia who had received treatment in hospital and in an ambulatory care setting. Offsets in the course of azacitidine administration and discontinuations of treatment have a negative impact on patients' response to the therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 31 patients. Sixteen patients received azacitidine in an ambulatory care setting, 15 patients within their hospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A hematologic response was achieved in 48% of the patients. Forty-one percent of the cycles were delayed. In an outpatient setting, 62% of the cycles were administered systematically, while during hospitalization the patients received 54% of cycles on time. Administrative problems caused the delay of 26% of the cycles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Azacitidine has a high tolerance level and a high safety profile which allows for its use in an outpatient care setting. Outpatient administration of azacitidine is feasible and safe without compromising efficacy.
authors: Department of Hematology, Blood Neoplasms and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Justyna
authors: J
authors: Rybka
authors: Department of Hematology, Blood Neoplasms and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Stefanko
authors: Department of Hematology, Blood Neoplasms and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Bogucka-Fedorczuk
authors: Department of Hematology, Blood Neoplasms and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland; Department of Physiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Aleksandra
authors: A
authors: Butrym
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Rafał
authors: R
authors: Poręba
authors: Department of Hematology, Blood Neoplasms and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Kazimierz
authors: K
authors: Kuliczkowski
authors: Department of Hematology, Blood Neoplasms and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors: Tomasz
authors: T
authors: Wróbel
keywords: azacitidine; myelodysplastic syndrome; outpatient treatment