Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and secondary acute myeloid leukaemias: a report on behalf of the Chronic Leukaemia Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling donor is a curative treatment option for a young patient with myelodysplastic syndrome, limited by age and lack of sibling donors. Alternative stem cell sources have been used more recently, such as unrelated donors, non-identical family members or autologous transplants. This analysis of 1378 transplants reported to the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) addresses the outcome of the varying procedures according to the known risk factors. The estimated disease-free survival (DFS) and estimated relapse risk at 3 years were both 36% for 885 patients transplanted with stem cells from matched siblings. In the multivariate analysis, age and stage of disease had independent prognostic significance for DFS, survival and treatment-related mortality. Patients transplanted at an early stage of disease had a significantly lower risk of relapse than patients transplanted at more advanced stages. The estimated DFS at 3 years was 25% for the 198 patients with voluntary unrelated donors, 28% for the 91 patients with alternative family donors and 33% for the 126 patients autografted in first complete remission. The non-relapse mortality was 58% for patients with unrelated donors, 66% for patients with non-identical family donors and 25% for autografted patients. The relapse rate of 18% was relatively low for patients with non-identical family donors, 41% for patients with unrelated donors and 55% for patients treated with autologous stem cell transplantation, Both allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation have emerged as treatment options for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Transplantation with an HLA-identical sibling donor is the preferred treatment option. Patients without an sibling donor may be treated with either autologous stem cell transplantation or an alternative donor transplantation. Patients: younger than 20 years may be treated with an unrelated donor transplantation. Patients older than 40 years, and probably also patients between 20 and 40 years, may benefit most from an autologous stem cell transplantation.