Monosomal karyotype improves IPSS-R stratification in MDS and AML patients treated with Azacitidine

Thomas Cluzeau1, Nicolas Mounier, Jean-Michel Karsenti

  • 1Centre Méditerranéen de médecine moléculaire, INSERM U1065, CHU Nice, Hôpital Archet 1, Service Hématologie Clinique, 151 Route Saint Antoine de Ginestière, Nice, France. cluzeau.thomas@gmail.com

Insights

The International Prognostic Scoring System-Revised (IPSS-R) alone does not predict outcomes in patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) treated with azacitidine (AZA). Incorporating monosomal karyotype (MK) status improves prognostic accuracy for survival in this AZA-treated cohort.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Oncology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The International Prognostic Scoring System-Revised (IPSS-R) is a standard tool for classifying myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) based on cytogenetic abnormalities.
  • Monosomal karyotype (MK) is an independent adverse prognostic factor in MDS, but its integration with IPSS-R requires further investigation, especially in patients receiving specific treatments.
  • Azacitidine (AZA) is a hypomethylating agent used to treat high-risk MDS and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with low blast counts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the prognostic value of IPSS-R and MK for treatment response and survival in patients with high-risk MDS and AML (20-30% blasts) treated with AZA.
  • To determine if combining IPSS-R with MK status can improve prognostic stratification compared to IPSS-R alone in this patient population.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 154 patients with high-risk MDS/AML receiving AZA was retrospectively analyzed.
  • Patients were initially classified according to IPSS-R.
  • MK status was assessed, and a novel classification incorporating both IPSS-R and MK was developed and validated for survival prediction.

Main Results:

  • IPSS-R alone was not predictive of response or survival in AZA-treated patients (P=0.28 for response, P=0.14 for survival).
  • Patients with MK (15% of the cohort) had a significantly shorter median overall survival (OS) of 9 months.
  • A reclassification incorporating MK status (very high [MK only], high [IPSS-R high/very high without MK], intermediate) significantly predicted survival (P=0.008), outperforming IPSS-R alone.

Conclusions:

  • IPSS-R alone is insufficient for predicting outcomes in AZA-treated high-risk MDS/AML patients.
  • Incorporating monosomal karyotype status into prognostic models significantly improves survival prediction in this cohort.
  • Stratification using a combined IPSS-R and MK classification offers valuable prognostic information for guiding treatment decisions in AZA-treated MDS/AML.