94 IMPACT OF COMORBIDITIES ON OVERALL SURVIVAL IN THE ELDERLY WITH MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROME OR ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA TREATED BY AZACITIDINE

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies concerning myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are rare. The estimated incidence varies between 1 and 12.6/100 000/year. The aim of this work was to compare our own experience with these data. Our general hospital represents a structure with 1197 beds which serves a population of 290 000 individuals (French Basques). Most of the inhabitants live in a rural environnement. Twenty percent of the population are aged over 65. During a 4-year period (1993–1996), 90 new cases of MDS were diagnosed on bone marrow studies in our laboratory. Among FAB subtypes refractory anemia (RA) represented 27 cases (31%), RA with ring sideroblasts (RARS): 21 (23%), RA with excess of blasts (RAEB) and in transformation (RAEB-t): 22 (24%), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML): 10 (11%). Ten cases were unclassifiable (11%). Therapy-related MDS were seen in 8 patients. The sex ratio was 1 and the mean age of the patients was 74.3 (range: 23–96), 37% of them being 80 years or older. The calculated incidence was 7.7/100 000/year for the entire cohort and 31.4/100 000/year for people over 65.