News from ASCO
News from ASCO
Here is news from the 2005 American Society Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Meeting in Orlando, FL, in mid-May:
Lenalidomide can replace blood transfusions in bone marrow disorder.
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) can help some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) avoid the need for blood transfusions, and even reduce or eliminate the genetic abnormality that characterizes the disease in this subset of patients, according to a new study.
Lenalidomide, an anti-angiogenic agent that is taken orally, may work against MDS by inhibiting angiogenesis, boosting the body’s immune response against cancer and enhancing red blood cell development.
Investigators examined the response to 10 mg of once-daily lenalidomide among 146 patients with MDS who relied on blood transfusions, reports ASCO news. All patients had a deletion of a region of genetic material on the long "q" arm of chromosome 5 ("del5q"). The trial was initiated in July 2003, and monitoring continues. All patients who responded to the drug are continuing to take it as long as it remains effective.
After 24 weeks, 64% of patients responded to lenalidomide and did not need a transfusion. Seventy-six percent of those who responded experienced a reduction in the number of marrow cells that had the del5q abnormality, and 55% of responders had no evidence of the del5q abnormality. After a median follow-up of 9.3 months, 91% of responding patients continued to show a response to lenalidomide. The most common side effects were lowering of the white blood cell count (39% of patients) and platelet count (35%), which necessitated interruption of treatment or reduction of lenalidomide dose.
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) can help some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) avoid the need for blood transfusions, and even reduce or eliminate the genetic abnormality that characterizes the disease in this subset of patients, according to a new study.Subscribe Now for Access
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