TRANFUSION INDEPENDENCE
Blood transfusions are not long-term treatment solutions for those with myelodysplastic
syndromes (MDS).13 Constant red blood cell transfusions may cause
iron overload which could lead to fatality if not controlled. Treatment may require
several transfusions a month and eventually the body may reject them. Successful
treatment with DACOGEN® (decitabine) for Injection may reduce
or eliminate the need for those transfusions while receiving this therapy.
In the randomized, controlled phase III trial, all DACOGEN responding patients remained
red blood cell (RBC) transfusion free. Beginning with the third treatment
cycle, the percentage of responding MDS patients who achieved RBC transfusion independence*
increased with each DACOGEN treatment cycle (Table 1).3
Table 1. RBC Transfusion Independence by Cycle (All Patients)3
It is recommended that patients be treated with DACOGEN for a minimum of 4 cycles;
however, a complete or partial response may take longer than 4 cycles. Treatment
may be continued as long as the patient continues to benefit.
Responding patients receiving DACOGEN demonstrated improved blood cell production.
- 100% of responding patients (CR + PR)† became transfusion
independent.
- 71% of patients with hematologic‡ improvement became RBC transfusion
independent.14
- Fewer patients receiving DACOGEN plus supportive care (20%) were treated
with erythropoietic growth factors versus patients receiving supportive care alone
(41%).3
* Transfusion independence is defined as no transfusions for at least
8 weeks.
†CR = complete response (<5% blasts in bone marrow; no transfusions
or growth factors; minimum duration 8 weeks) PR = partial response (50%
decrease in bone marrow blast; other reponse criteria same as CR, or a downgrade
in the FAB category)15
‡ hematologic improvement = described by magnitude of response (major
or minor) and individual responsive cell lines (red blood cells, white blood
cells, and platelets).3
References