Is Iron-Chelation Therapy Useful in Persons with Myelodysplastic Syndrome Receive?

Iron overload in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) results from multiple RBC-transfusions and inappropriate increased iron absoption associated with ineffective erythropoiesis. Data from hereditary iron-loading anemias indicate long-term consequences of iron toxicity are preventable and potentially reversible by effective iron-chelation therapy (ICT). There is increasing interest in using ICT in persons with MDS because of the recent introduction of orally effective iron-chelators which are suitable for older persons, (1-4). Ideally, evidence supporting the benefit of ICT in MDS should be evidenced-based, especially data from randomized trials showing better survival and, in exceptional cases, improved heart function . Such data are lacking. Nevertheless, it is possible to rely on the extensive data from trials of ICT in persons with thalassemia and to use well-defined predictors of increased risks of life-threatening complications to identify persons with MDS most likely to benefit from iron-chelating therapy.