Costs and quality of life in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) encompass a range of myeloid neoplasms characterised by a defect in haematopoietic stem cell maturation, resulting in peripheral cytopenias. As a major consequence, most MDS patients become anaemic, so as to require red blood cell transfusions. To investigate the costs and the impact on quality of life (QOL) of MDS-separately in transfusion-independent (TI) and -dependent (TD) patients-a literature search was conducted. From Medline and Embase, 742 studies were identified, of which 17 were considered eligible. Total medical costs per patient/year range from $ 9,840 to $ 19,811 for the TI condition and from $ 29,608 to $ 51,066 in the TD condition, more than doubling when moving from the former condition to the latter. With regard to QOL, in the transition from TI to TD, QOL could be reduced by half depending on the studies. The TD condition negatively impacts on costs and the QOL of patients with MDS. Therapeutic strategies that reduce transfusion dependence may lead to broad benefits for patients and the community.