The myelodysplastic syndrome is a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoietic disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, progressive peripheral cytopenias, and a tendency to progress to acute myeloid leukemia. New therapeutic options in MDS which are still under investigation include amifostine and antithymocite globulin (ATG). Although both amifostine and ATG have shown effects as individual agents in improving cytopenias and, perhaps, marrow blast count, there have been many patients treated with these agents who had none or minimal response in one or more cell lines. The cause of cytopenias and progression to AML is likely multifactorial. This study hypothesizes that treatment with the combination of the two agents -- each of which has a different mechanism of action -- may be synergistic in improving peripheral counts and reducing disease progression.
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