Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation versus hypomethylating agents in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome: A retrospective case-control study

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is the only potentially curative treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Recently, hypomethylating agents (HMAs) have been shown to improve survival in patients with high-risk MDS. We conducted a retrospective case-control study to compare survival with these treatment modalities in patients with untreated MDS. Controls were identified using a departmental database and transplant patients were matched in at least three of the following five criteria: year of diagnosis, age, blast percentage, International Prognostic Scoring System cytogenetic risk, and time from diagnosis to treatment. Median overall survival (OS) was 26 and 25 months for, respectively, allo-SCT [(n = 53); range, 2-210 months] and HMA [(n = 40); range, 2-98 months] (P = 0.89). Four-year survival rates were 24 and 23% for allo-SCT patients and the nontransplant cohort, respectively. Patients undergoing allo-SCT after 2000 had longer median OS compared with those transplanted before 2000 (41 versus 7 months, P=0.001). These results would suggest that prospective studies are needed to delineate the timing and efficacy of allo-SCT in the HMA era.