Optimizing MDS Care

CE / CME

An Update on Optimizing Care for Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Nurses: 1.00 Nursing contact hour

Physicians: maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit

Pharmacists: 1.00 contact hour (0.1 CEUs)

Released: November 22, 2023

Expiration: November 21, 2024

Amer Zeidan
Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MHS

Activity

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Course Completed

Introduction

In this activity, Amer Zeidan, MBBS, MPH, reviews important developments in optimizing the management of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including results from a patient survey, clinical trial findings, and implications for clinical practice.

Please note that the slide thumbnails in this activity link to the PowerPoint slideset associated with this program, which also can be found here. The slideset can be downloaded by clicking on any of the thumbnails within the activity.

Clinical Care Options plans to measure the educational impact of this activity. Some questions will be asked twice: once at the beginning of the activity and once again after the discussion that informs the best choice. Your responses will be aggregated for analysis, and your specific responses will not be shared. Thank you in advance for helping us assess the impact of this education.

Before continuing with this educational activity, please take a moment to answer the following questions.

For those providing patient care, how many patients with MDS do you see in a typical month?

Which MDS classification system is being used in your practice to help plan individualized therapeutic strategies for patients with MDS?


  • 70-year-old fit male

  • History of prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy 4 years prior

  • Presented with anemia





    • Hemoglobin 8.7 g/dL (mean corpuscular volume 107)

    • Platelets 159k

    • Absolute neutrophil count 1.6

    • Erythropoietin level 400 U/L





  • Biopsy was 70% cellular with dysgranulopoiesis, erythroid dysplasia, blasts 0% on CD34 stain

  • Cytogenetics normal

  • Molecular assessment: SF3B1, TET2 mutations

  • Transfusion dependence developed

Which of the following is the most appropriate therapeutic approach for this patient?

A patient with lower-risk non-del(5q) MDS has been requiring approximately 4 units of RBCs every 4 weeks for the past 6 months. Iron studies, platelets, and white blood cell counts have been within normal limits. During this time, she has been maintained on epoetin alfa 60,000 units twice weekly with no change in hemoglobin concentration.

In addition to monitoring, what would be the next recommended step for her management?

Which of the following findings was reported from a phase Ib study of venetoclax and azacitidine in combination for patients with higher-risk MDS?