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Interest of the association azacitidine–lenalidomide as frontline therapy in high-risk myelodysplasia or acute myeloid leukemia with complex karyotype

Leukemia volume 26, pages 822–824 (2012)Cite this article

Novel approaches and agents are needed to improve the outcome of patients with high-risk myelodysplasia (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In MDS or secondary AML, intensive chemotherapy (ICT) results in low complete remission (CR) rates (40–60%) and short CR duration (median duration, 10–12 months). Complex karyotype is the most important adverse prognostic factor of response to ICT.1 Moreover, the feasibility of ICT is also impaired by the advanced median age of patients with MDS and the comorbidities of patients with secondary AML.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative treatment for high-risk MDS and AML. Unfortunately, only a minority of patients is eligible for HSCT, because of comorbidities and advanced age of recipients and their potential donors, as well as difficulties to assess disease control underlining the need of novel strategies, particularly in case of complex cytogenetics.

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Author notes

  1. E Scherman and S Malak: These authors contributed equally to this paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris (AP-HP) Saint-Antoine, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France

    E Scherman, S Malak, N C Gorin, M T Rubio & F Isnard

  2. Cytogenetic Laboratory, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris (AP-HP) Saint-Antoine, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France

    C Perot

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  1. E Scherman
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Correspondence to S Malak.

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Scherman, E., Malak, S., Perot, C. et al. Interest of the association azacitidine–lenalidomide as frontline therapy in high-risk myelodysplasia or acute myeloid leukemia with complex karyotype. Leukemia 26, 822–824 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2011.284

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