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When should iron chelation therapy be considered in patients with myelodysplasia and other bone marrow failure syndromes with iron overload?
Author(s) -
Bird R. J.,
Kenealy M.,
Forsyth C.,
Wellwood J.,
Leahy M. F.,
Seymour J. F.,
To L. B.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2012.02734.x
Subject(s) - medicine , myelodysplastic syndromes , chelation therapy , bone marrow , intensive care medicine , bone marrow failure , disease , stem cell , thalassemia , haematopoiesis , biology , genetics
Despite the absence of a robust evidence base, there is growing consensus that effective treatment of iron overload leads to decreased morbidity and premature mortality in patients with good prognosis myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs). Furthermore, new treatment modalities, including disease‐modifying therapies (lenalidamide and azacytidine) and reduced intensity conditioning therapies for allogeneic blood stem cell transplants, are offering the prospect of longer survival for patients with traditionally less favourable prognosis MDS, who might also benefit from iron chelation. This article proposes assessment of patients with MDS and related bone marrow failure syndromes to determine suitability for iron chelation. Iron chelation therapy options and monitoring are discussed.