Seminar series: Recent advances in MDS prognosis and management with a focus on transfusional iron overload

This lecture is part of the CBR Summer seminar series. 

The myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) are a group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders that lead to peripheral blood cytopenias, decreased survival, and a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The majority of MDS patients eventually become red blood cell (RBC) transfusion dependent. Transfusion dependence in congenital anemias such as thalassemia has long been recognized to confer organ toxicity and shorten survival. MDS patients are older than thalassemia, with a median age of MDS onset in Canada of 72 years, and their organs more susceptible to toxicity from iron, which is additive to other age-related risk factors for decreased organ function. In addition, iron toxicity can increase the risk of malignant progression to AML. This presentation will provide an update on currently hot topics in MDS, and discuss the role of iron overload in MDS in this context. Unique data on iron overload in MDS generated by previous CBR Summer Student projects will be presented.

Presented by

Heather Leitch, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Director Hematology/Oncology Research (SPH), Clinical Professor, St. Paul's Hospital & Centre for Blood Research

Registration

For information about CBR Summer seminar series events, visit the CBR website: CBR Seminars | Centre for Blood Research (ubc.ca). To receive Zoom access details for CBR Summer seminar series events, contact Dr. Parvin Bolourani (parvin@mail.ubc.ca).