Combined treatment with lenalidomide and epoetin alfa in lower-risk patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

The erythropoietic effects of lenalidomide are cytokine dependent, suggesting that the erythroid hematologic improvement (HI-E) rate may be augmented by combined treatment (CT) with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhu-EPO) in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). In the present study, we explored the benefits of CT and the relationship between lenalidomide pharmacokinetics and hematologic toxicity in transfusion-dependent patients with low- to intermediate-1-risk MDS who failed prior rhu-EPO. In stage I, patients received 10 or 15 mg/d of lenalidomide monotherapy.

Challenges and successes in the treatment of hemophilia: the story of a patient with severe hemophilia A and high-titer inhibitors.

In the past, patients with severe hemophilia have suffered a substantially reduced quality of life with frequent bleeding episodes, disabling arthropathy, and shorter life expectancy. In addition, methods of treatment and management have been costly and time-consuming, and have placed a considerable burden on patients' physical and psychological well-being. With the advent of the on-demand therapy and prophylactic treatment paradigm, patients have been able to receive care with less interruption of daily activities.

Phase I combination trial of lenalidomide and azacitidine in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Purpose: Lenalidomide and azacitidine are active in patients with lower- and higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). These agents may complement each other by targeting both the bone marrow microenvironment and hypomethylating action on the malignant clone.

Patients And Methods: This phase I trial explored the safety of combination therapy in patients with higher-risk MDS.

Decitabine in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes.

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are challenging to treat, given the advanced median age and comorbidities of the population. For most patients, the standard therapy is supportive care, including broad-spectrum antibiotics, red blood cell/platelet transfusions, and growth factors. Decitabine, a hypomethylating agent that allows for the re-expression of tumor suppressor genes, represents an exciting new treatment option for MDS patients.

The pathogenesis and management of disseminated intravascular coagulation.

The pathologic and progressive generation of thrombin in human blood can result in the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a syndrome associated with many underlying conditions and manifested as microvascular thrombosis, tissue hypoxia, and organ damage. DIC can be either acute or chronic, with acute DIC resulting from generation of a large amount of thrombin in a brief time period and chronic (compensated) DIC developing as a result of exposure of the coagulation system to small amounts of tissue factor leading to increased but nonacute levels of thrombin generation. DIC can also be considered a thrombohemorrhagic syndrome.

Decitabine in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogenous group of hematopoietic stem cell disorders that are multifactorial in their etiology. Aberrant DNA hypermethylation is now thought to be involved in MDS, as numerous tumor-suppressor genes have been identified that are silenced in these patients. Thus, the use of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, such as 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine, Dacogen, MGI Pharma Inc, Bloomington, MN), for reversal of this process appears to be a rational intervention that may influence the course of the disease.

Acute myeloid leukemia mimicking primary testicular neoplasm. Presentation of a case with review of literature.

We describe a new unique case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a 21-yr-old male presenting with abdominal pain, bilateral testicular masses and gynecomastia. Further work-up with computed tomography of the chest, abdomen and pelvis revealed massive retroperitoneal, peripancreatic and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, suggesting primary testicular neoplasm. The patient was subjected to right orchiectomy that showed infiltration of testicular tissue with malignant cells, originally misinterpreted as undifferentiated carcinoma.

Thromboembolism preceding cancer: a correlation study.

Thromboembolic (TE) events preceding cancer have been observed. Some studies failed to find this correlation. We retrospectively examined the cancer incidence following thromboembolic events in patients at our medical center.