Meeting Summary

For the second SOTS symposium on the leukemias, experts in the myelodysplastic syndromes convened to focus on advances and areas for improvement in the MDS research. In the area of new agent development, panelists discussed the need for targeting hematopoietic and apoptotic pathways until genetic pathways are further clarified, and for broadening the identification of single target genes, including one for clonal disease haplo-insufficiency. Also considered was the therapeutic value of growth factors, anti-cytokine agents, and immunosuppressive therapy. Panelists stressed the importance of QOL and palliative care. Talks on disease classification described the pros and cons of the FAB classification system and the impact of new WHO proposals on RAEB-t classification and refractory anemia class inclusiveness. Study design topics included designing clinical trials specific to disease subtypes; incorporating epidemiological studies into MDS trials; establishing a minimum response time across all MDS trials as opposed to within one agent; evaluating targeted response criteria for specific therapies where the treatment goal is not CR; establishing a "master" phase II protocol for the Cooperative Groups; and identifying priority patient groups for enrollment in new agent trials.