Feasibility of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Elderly Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome
A recent study demonstrates that allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a feasible and effective treatment option for older adults with myelodysplastic syndrome, showing comparable survival outcomes to younger patients.
Recent research published in the European Journal of Haematology confirms that allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) can be successfully performed in older adults diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). A multicenter retrospective study led by Dr. Fernando Barroso Duarte from Walter Cantídio University Hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil, evaluated outcomes for patients aged 65 and older compared to younger groups across 38 transplant centers in Latin America from 1988 to 2023.
The study included 441 patients, with 16% being 65 years or older. Results showed that five-year overall survival (OS) was 49.3% in the elderly group and 56.7% in younger patients, with progression-free survival (PFS) at 48.4% and 56.2%, respectively. The rates of relapse and nonrelapse mortality were 13.6% and 33.8%. Importantly, after adjusting for various factors, there were no significant differences in OS, relapse, or mortality between the age groups.
In patients aged 65 and above, factors such as high-risk disease scores, male sex, use of reduced-intensity conditioning, mobilized blood cell grafts, and prior treatments influenced outcomes. The study observed that elderly patients had a higher risk of disease relapse compared to younger patients but maintained comparable survival rates overall.
The authors concluded that allo-HCT remains a viable treatment option for elderly patients with MDS, challenging previous assumptions that age limits transplantation eligibility. They emphasized that careful patient selection and tailored conditioning regimens can optimize results, offering hope for improved management of MDS in older populations.
This study highlights the importance of not excluding older patients from potentially curative therapies like allo-HCT and encourages a more individualized approach based on overall health and disease risk factors.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-allogeneic-hct-feasible-older-patients.html
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