Evolving trends in the treatment of low‐risk myelodysplastic syndromes: immunomodulation and beyond—9th European Hematology Association Congress Geneva, Switzerland, 10–13 June 2004

Abstract

The 9th European Hematology Association Congress, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 10 through 13 June 2004, offered a number of educational programmes that focused on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). This report will summarize the material presented at the educational symposium entitled 'Evolving Trends in the Treatment of Low-Risk MDS: Immunomodulation and Beyond'. The overview of the presentations includes a comparative review of the classification systems for MDS; a discussion of treatment strategies and management issues for patients in lower risk disease categories; a description of a novel class of immunomodulators, the IMiDs((R)), and a presentation of updated data from clinical trials of the IMiD compound, lenalidomide, in the treatment of MDS.