Table 1.
Overview of the published guidelines for iron chelation therapy in MDS patients. RBC (red blood cell), IPSS (International Prognostic Scoring System).
| Guidelines | Italy 2002 | UK 2003 | Nagasaki Consensus 2005 | Canada 2008 | Spain 2008 | Japan 2008 | MDS Foundation 2008 | Austria 2008 | Israel 2008 | NCCN 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfusion status | Received ≥50 RBC units | Received ~25 RBC units | Transfusion dependent | Transfusion dependent | Transfusion dependent | Received >40 Japanese units | Received 2 RBC units/month for ≥1 year | Transfusion dependent | Received 20–25 RBC units or more than 2 RBC units/month for 6 months | Received 20–30 RBC units to continue transfusions |
| Serum ferritin level(ng/mL) | — | — | >1000 –2000 | >1000 | >1000 | >1000 | >1000 | >2000 | >1000 | >2500 |
| Patients | Life-expectancy >6 months | Long-term survival likely (eg, pure sideroblastic anemia, del(5q)) | Low or Int-1 IPSS Refractory anemia (RA), RA with ringed sideroblasts (RARS), del(5q) | Low or Int-1 IPSS, RA, RARS, del(5q) (Int-2 or High IPSS) | IPSS Low or Int-1, Low risk (Spanish prognostic index) | Life-expectancy >1 year | Life-expectancy >1 year | Life expectancy >2 years | Life-expectancy >1 year | Low or Int-1 IPSS |