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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
Use of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation to Assess the Origin of Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Published on: October 3, 2018
Outcome of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes in the Veterans Administration population
Rami S Komrokji1, Gina M Matacia-Murphy, Najla H Al Ali
1Department of Hematologic Malignancies, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. rami.komrokji@moffitt.org
Purpose:
Epidemiology and outcome of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the United States is not well recognized. MDS became reportable to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) in 2001. We report first study of MDS among large population in the Veteran Affair system.
Patients And Methods:
There are approximately 127 VA Medical Centers diagnosing and/or treating Cancer patients. The data collected by the medical centers cancer registries is aggregated as the VA Central Cancer Registry (VACCR). We used the VACCR to analyze VA patients with MDS diagnosed between 1995 and 2006. The cases were identified using ICD-03 histology codes for MDS.
Results:
A total of 2242 MDS cases were registered during the period analyzed. The median overall survival (OS) was 2.1 years, but varied by French-American-British category. Median OS for patients with RA, RARS and RAEB was 3.4, 4.9, and 0.7 years, respectively. No differences in OS were observed by race.
Conclusion:
Outcome of MDS in the VA was similar to what is described in literature and reported by the SEER Program. Appropriate coding for WHO subtypes, IPSS and treatment details are needed in all MDS registries to facilitate comparisons across populations.
Insights
This study analyzed myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in US veterans, finding outcomes similar to national data. Improved registry coding is recommended for better comparisons of MDS patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) epidemiology and outcomes in the United States require further characterization.
- The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program began reporting MDS in 2001.
- This study presents the first analysis of MDS within the large Veteran Affairs (VA) system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemiology and outcomes of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in a large population of US veterans.
- To establish a baseline understanding of MDS within the VA healthcare system.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the VA Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) data from 1995-2006.
- Identified 2242 cases of MDS using ICD-03 histology codes across 127 VA Medical Centers.
- Analyzed overall survival (OS) based on French-American-British (FAB) classification.
Main Results:
- A total of 2242 MDS cases were identified between 1995 and 2006.
- The median overall survival (OS) for MDS patients was 2.1 years.
- Median OS varied significantly by FAB subtype: RA (3.4 years), RARS (4.9 years), and RAEB (0.7 years). No OS differences were noted based on race.
Conclusions:
- Outcomes for MDS patients in the VA system align with existing literature and SEER Program data.
- Enhanced coding for World Health Organization (WHO) subtypes, International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS), and treatment details in MDS registries is crucial.
- Standardized data collection will facilitate more robust comparisons of MDS outcomes across diverse patient populations.
