Anemia Management in LR-MDS: Treatment Insights From ASH 2024

Thomas W. LeBlanc, MD, MA, discusses how the standard of care (SOC) options for anemia management in patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) typically involve erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and transfusion support, with emerging therapies like luspatercept offering new treatment options for better patient outcomes.

Thomas W. LeBlanc, MD, MA, discusses how the COMMANDS study, which compared luspatercept to epoetin alfa in erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA)–naive, transfusion-dependent patients with low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS), demonstrated the long-term clinical value of luspatercept in improving hemoglobin levels and reducing transfusion dependence, with updated efficacy results presented by Garcia-Manero et al at ASH 2024.

Thomas W. LeBlanc, MD, MA, discusses how erythroid maturation agents (EMAs), such as luspatercept, are increasingly important in the anemia management landscape for low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS), with a focus on achieving hemoglobin levels ≥ 10, as highlighted by Santini et al in their ASH 2024 abstract, demonstrating the clinical significance of this target for improving patient outcomes.

Thomas W. LeBlanc, MD, MA, discusses how existing challenges in treatment choices for low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) include limited access to newer therapies, patient-specific factors, and treatment sequencing complexities, and explores strategies to address these barriers, such as improving health care access, optimizing patient selection, and enhancing treatment guidelines.

Thomas W. LeBlanc, MD, MA, discusses how treatment regimens for low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) significantly impact health-related quality of life (HRQOL), with data from the COMMANDS study (Oliva et al, ASH 2024, Abstract 3216) highlighting the correlation between HRQOL and clinical end points, and explore how incorporating HRQOL data into clinical decision-making can guide more patient-centered treatment choices in community settings.