Top 5 Most-Read MDS Content of 2024

The top 5 most popular articles and videos about myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) on AJMC.com this year included research on the efficacy of various treatment strategies, as well as insights on care delivery to improve quality of life.

Here are the 5 most-viewed MDS pieces of 2024.

5. Dr Jennifer Vaughn: We Can Provide Aggressive, Effective Treatment, but Help Patients Maintain Quality of Life

In this video interview, Jennifer Vaughn, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital, explains how patients with MDS can receive care in the outpatient setting, allowing them to avoid long hospital stays and influencing better mental health and quality of life. This approach also alleviates some of the strain on caregivers. A study by Vaughn and colleagues showed that having outpatient resources and supportive care in place allowed patients to receive high-quality, safe, and effective care after intensive chemotherapy without a hospital stay. She noted the importance in laying the groundwork ahead of time in terms of staff expertise and resources.

Watch the full interview.

This year’s most-viewed articles and videos on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) explored patient quality of life, risk factors for progression, and more. | Image Credit: © Sviatlana - stock.adobe.com

4. Celiac Disease Associated With Varying Risks for Cancers

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that involves bodily reactions to eating gluten, and this article covers research findings that the disorder is also linked with increased risk of more than a dozen malignant neoplasms, including MDS. The highest OR was seen for small intestinal carcinomas, whereas investigators discovered a reduced risk of respiratory and secondary malignancies. Patients with celiac disease and cancer also had longer length of stay and care costs than patients with cancer but not celiac disease. The investigators called for more vigilant screening for these malignancies in patients with celiac disease.

Read the full article.

3. JAK Inhibitors Show Promise in Concurrent Myeloid Disorders, IADs

This article reports on study findings that treatment with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors has the potential to fill an unmet need for patients with concurrent myeloid disorders and adult-onset inflammatory syndromes. In case studies, the JAK1 inhibitor upadacitinib significantly improved inflammatory symptoms and allowed for tapering of steroids among 2 patients. The literature still is not clear on the mechanisms underlying the development of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders in patients with MDS, but potential mechanisms include mechanisms include Th17/Treg imbalance. Study investigators called for further research on somatic mutations in the genome, which could help identify therapeutic options that target specific pathways.

Read the full article.

2. Report: ESAs Largely Ineffective in Lower-Risk MDS

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) don’t appear to be a helpful treatment strategy for patients with lower-risk MDS, according to these findings covered in August. The study authors explained that MDS-related anemia is caused in part by ineffective erythropoiesis, and ESA treatment can help some patients avoid the need for transfusions, but response rates vary and many patients see a loss of benefit over time. This research aimed to fill the gaps in knowledge on treatment and response patterns, finding that overall response to ESA therapy was poor and patients commonly required hospitalization. There’s a need to better understand when to consider alternatives to ESAs, such as the newly approved luspatercept, the authors wrote.

Read the full article.

1. Study Identifies Risk Factors for Progression From Low-Risk MDS

Approximately 30% of people with MDS will eventually progress to acute myeloid leukemia, but little is understood about which patients initially diagnosed with low-risk MDS are likely to progress to either high-risk disease or AML. This research identified several risk factors for disease progression: male gender, low absolute neutrophil count, low platelet count, high bone marrow blasts, multilineage dysplasia, and a lack of ring sideroblasts. The investigators also identified a number of somatic mutations associated with progression risk, but noted that more research on treating these patients will be crucial for tailoring therapy.

Read the full article.