The Population-Based ‘real world’ of Low Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Second Interim Analysis of the European LeukemiaNet MDS Registry at 800 Registered New Patients

The European LeukemiaNet MDS Registry programme is the largest and most comprehensive prospective population-based registry of ‘low-risk’ MDS patients followed from diagnosis.

The primary objective of this study is to describe the demographics and the disease-management of newly diagnosed MDS patients within IPSS low and intermediate-1 categories.

The project recruits patients from 107 sites in 11 countries, ranging from 2–25 sites per country and including a high proportion of non-University centres in small cities. Consecutive eligible adult patients are registered within 3 months of diagnosis. Local diagnosis is accepted and a large dataset is collected including laboratory data, clinical information (including co-morbidity and concomitant medication) plus health utility (EQ-5D). Data are entered via a web portal and are source verified by study monitoring visits to sites.

As of July 2010, 828 patients are registered; data are presented for the first 800 patients. Recruitment is highest from France (n=237) then UK (104), Greece (99), Spain (92), and Sweden (73). Median age is 74.2 yrs (range 18.7–95.3) and from the four largest recruiting countries is 74.6–77.1 yrs. Sixty one percent of patients are male. Twenty patients are non-Caucasian (n=763). Body mass index is overweight (WHO definition) in 43.4% pts and obese in 18.3%, comparable to WHO data for the general adult population (http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp). RCMD is the largest WHO subgroup (34%), followed by RARS (19%), RA (18.4%), RAEB-1 (12.5%), del5q (5.4%), MDS-U (3.5%) and RAEB-2 (0.5%). All WHO subgroups have male predominance except del5q with a striking female excess (79%). IPSS score (n=743) is 0 (52.3%), 0.5 (33.2%), and 1 (14.4%). 84.5% patients have IPSS ‘good’ cytogenetics. 19% patients have 0 cytopenias, 53% 1 cytopenia, 20% 2 cytopenias and 8% 3 cytopenias. WPSS category (with transfusion dependence assessed at time of registration, n=727) is Very Low (35.5%), Low (39.5%), Intermediate (21%), High (4%). Bone marrow features: mean no. of dysplastic lineages = 1.9, bone marrow ring sideroblasts percent = 0 (60% pts), <15 (11.5%), ≥15<50 (19.2%), ≥50 (9.6%). Median haemoglobin (Hb) concentration at presentation is 10.1 g/dl; 36% values were < 10 g/dl and 10% < 8 g/dl. Hb decreased with age (categorical variable Hb. <13>11.5, <11.5>10, <10; Χ² test, P<.0001). Mean neutrophil count was 2.8 × 10⁹/l with 27% values <1.5 × 10⁹/l, 16% < 1 × 10⁹/l, and 5% < 0.5 × 10⁹/l. Median platelet count was 184 × 10⁹/l; 5% patients had values < 50 × 10⁹/l and 3% < 20 × 10⁹/l. Platelet count and neutrophil count did not change with age. Median serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentration (n=418) was 49 IU/l, 81% values were <200 IU/l and 7% > 500 IU/l. Mean creatinine clearance was 71 mls/min with a marked reduction with age (P<.0001). Baseline serum EPO correlated with Hb. (r=.37, P<.0001), creatinine clearance (r=.22, P<.0001) and age (r=.1, P<.0001). The relationship between creatinine clearance, baseline EPO and response to EPO therapy will be explored.

This registry records data from the ‘real world’, namely what the hematopathologists in 100 sites diagnose locally as low-risk MDS and will as such be managed as MDS. Median age is consistent with other population-based data (US Medicare, Yorkshire Haematological Malignancy Research Network [www.hmrn.org]). In comparison with registries from specialist MDS centres, median age is higher and a lower proportion have del(5q) WHO subtype.

The ELN registry clearly maps the diagnosis and management of low-risk MDS in routine clinical practice in hospitals large and small, specialist and non-specialist and is a unique resource.

The Steering Committee (SC) acknowledges the commitment and enthusiasm from all 107 sites contributing high quality data to the project. The SC is also grateful for the funding commitment of Novartis Oncology Europe through the University of Nijmegen.

Bowen:Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AMGEN: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Chugai: Honoraria, Research Funding. Fenaux:Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen Cilag: Honoraria, Research Funding; ROCHE: Honoraria, Research Funding; AMGEN: Honoraria, Research Funding; GSK: Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; Cephalon: Honoraria, Research Funding. Hellstrom-Lindberg:Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.