Eligibility for clinical trials is unsatisfactory for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, even at a tertiary referral center.

Participation in clinical trials may allow patients with MDS to gain access to therapies not otherwise available. However, access is limited by strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, reflecting academic or regulatory questions addressed by the respective studies. We performed a simulation in order to estimate the average proportion of MDS patients eligible for participation in a clinical trial.