Table 2. Proposed modified International Working Group response criteria.

	For altering natural history of myelodysplastic syndrome
Category	Response Criteria (responses must last at least 4 wk)
Complete remission	Bone marrow: ≤5% myeloblasts with normal maturation of all cell lines
	Persistent dysplasia will be noted
	Peripheral blood
	Hgb ≥11 g/dL
	Platelets ≥100×109/L
	Neutrophils ≥1.0×106/L
	Blasts 0%
Partial remission	All CR criteria if abnormal before treatment expect: one marrow blasts decreased by ≥50% over pre-treatment but still > 5%
	Cellurarity and morphology not relevant
Marrow CR	Bone marrow: ≤5% myeloblasts and decrease by ≥50% over treatment
	Peripheral blood: if HI responses, they will be noted in addition to marrow CR
Stable disease	Failure to achieve at least PR, but no evidence of progression for > 8 wks

	For hematologic improvement
Hematologic improvement	Response Criteria (responses must last at least 8 wk)
Erythroid response (pretreatment, < 11 g/dL)	Hgb increase by ≥1.5 g/dL
	Relevant reduction of units of RBC transfusions by an absolute number of at least 4 RBC
	transfusions/8 wk compared with the pre-treatment transfusion number in the previous 8 wk.
	Only RBC transfusions given for a Hgb of ≤9.0 g/dL
	pre-treatment will count in the RBC transfusion response evaluation
Platelet response (pre-treatment, < 100×109/L)	Absolute increase of ≥30×109/L for the patients starting with >20×109/L platelets
	Increase from <20×109/L to > 20×109/L and by at least 100%
Neutrophil response (pretreatment, < 1.0×109/L)	At least 100% increase and an absolute increase >0.5×109/L
Progression or relapse after HI	At least one of the following:
	At least 50% decrement from maximum response levels in granulocytes or platelets
	Reduction in Hgb by ≥1.5 g/dL
	Transfusion dependence

From Zou⁵⁰