Transcript ppt
Myelodysplastic Syndromes:
Clonal Myeloid Diseases
Haskell (Gill) Kirkpatrick M.D.
8/24/05
Case Report
74 y/o man with hx prostate cancer (XRT
2004) and ETOH intake presented with
dyspnea
Exam pertinent for decreased pallor. No
lymphadenopathy or organomegaly.
Labs: WBC 1.5, Hct 15, reticulocyte count
1%, platelets 44,000
CD34
CD117
MPO
MDS
Arise from somatic mutations in
hematopoietic (myeloid) stem cell causing:
Ineffective hematopoiesis
Cytopenia(s)
Qualitative disorders of blood cells and their
precursors
Variable predilection to undergo evolution to
florid AML
Stem cells have a defective capacity for
self-renewal and differentiation
History of Terminology
“Odo-leukemia” coined in 1942
Disorders on the threshold of leukemia
“Pre-leukemic anemia” soon replaced
Described cases of cytopenias that preceded the
onset of AML
“Hemopoietic dysplasia” later shortened to
“Myelodysplasia”
1975 conference on unclassifiable leukemias
Myelodysplasia: Misnomer
Nomenclature coined at a time when
Dysmorphogenesis thought to be single
abnormality
Dysplasia is a pathologic term that implies
a non-clonal, non-neoplastic process
Encompasses heterogeneous spectrum:
From acquired indolent idiopathic anemia…
No discernable leukemic blasts
To oligoblastic myelogenous leukemia
Increased leukemic blast cells (>2%)
“refractory anemia with excess blasts”
World Health Organization (WHO)
Classification
FAB criteria introduced in 1982
2001 WHO published new classification scheme
Modifications made to improve prognostic value
Major changes:
Lower threshold for defining AML (Blasts count)
Eliminated RA with excess blasts in transformation
(RAEBT)
Divided categories into single or multi-lineage
dysplasia
Divided RAEB into 2 categories
Eliminated CMML from MDS category
Categories not addressed: hypocellular MDS & MDS
with fibrosis
Incidence and Etiology
15,000 new cases in U.S. annually
5 per 100,000 persons per year
Increases to 20 to 50 per 100,000 after the age
of 60
As common as CLL (most common form
leukemia)
Idiopathic
Secondary (treatment related)
Chemotherapy (particularly alkylating agents)
Radiation
Clinical Features
Asymptomatic
Symptomatic anemia
Recurrent infections due to
granulocytopenia
Bleeding due to thrombocytopenia and/or
qualitative platelet defect
Laboratory features
Blood
Red cells: Anemia 85% patients at diagnosis
MCV often increased
Anisocytosis
Poikilocytosis: oval, elliptical, teardrop, spherical,
fragmented
Usually low reticulocyte count
Granulocytes and Monocytes
Monocytosis and neutropenia not uncommon
Pseudo-Pelger-Hüet cells
Hypogranular neutrophils
Platelets
Mild to moderate thrombocytopenia 25% cases
Abnormal function assays can reflect qualitative defects
Blood
Laboratory features
Marrow
Normal or increased cellularity
20% are hypoplastic
Dysplasia in one or more cell line
Erythroid hyperplasia and variation in
erythroblasts
Ringed Sideroblasts: erythroblasts with
mitochondrial iron aggregates
Hypogranulated neutrophils
Unilobed/bilobed megakaryocytes
Fibrosis
Increase in reticulin and collagen fibers can be
seen in oligoblastic leukemia
Aspirate
Dysplastic RBCs binucleation, multinucleation,
nuclear budding, nuclear
bridging, karryorhexis,
vacuoles, PAS+
Megaloblastoid changes
Ringed sideroblasts
Macrophage storage
Megakaryocytes:
Small, hypolobulated
nuclei
Larger with widely
spaced nuclei
Morphology: Pitfalls and
Problems
Morphologic dysplasia not specific for MDS
Small number of dysplastic cells can be seen in normal
individuals
Guidelines (WHO): 10% of cells must be dysplastic in a
single lineage
Quality of specimen can be an obstacle
Make sure adequate staining to call hypogranularity
(neutrophils)
Biopsies should be at least 1-2 cm extending into marrow
Especially with low-grade MDS
Studies have shown this especially with dyserythropoiesis
Other conditions: megaloblastic anemia, exposure to toxins
(i.e. arsenic), congenital dyserythropoietic anemia, growth
factors, HIV etc..
Inter-observer reproducibility of dysplasia is poor
Cytogenetic Characterization of
MDS
Role: confirmation of diagnosis & predicting outcome
Contributed to understanding of pathogenesis
Suspected multi-step process of insults to stem cell
genome
Routine karyotyping
De Novo MDS: Abnormal 40-70% cases
Therapy-related (t-MDS): Abnormal 95% cases
Predict survival and assess risk of transformation to
acute leukemia
Often same abnormal chromosomes seen in AML
No cytogenetic abnormality specific for MDS
One unique case: 5q- syndrome
5Q- Syndrome
Deletion of chromosome 5q is one of most
common abnormalities in MDS
Common deleted region mapped to 5q31q32 (1.5 Mb)
“5q- syndrome”
Isolated 5q deletion
Severe anemia, normal or elevated platelets
Atypical megakaryocytes
No blasts
Typically indolent coarse
International Prognostic Scoring System
(IPSS)
Derived from data from over 800 patients
managed with supportive care
(Greenberg et al, Blood 1997)
Compliments both classification schemes
WHO and FAB
Morphologic classification alone insufficient
Bone Marrow Transplant
Allogeneic hematopoetic stem-cell
transplant
Currently only treatment that can
significantly prolong survival
Approximately 1/3 of transplanted patients
cured
Significant morbidity and treatment related
mortality
Only 8-10% of all MDS patients eligible and
have a donor (HLA-matched sibling)
Young patients (45 or younger)
Therapeutic Goals When Transplant
Not an Option
Consider natural history of the disease & patient
preference
Low or Intermediate-1 patients (IPSS): longer
survival
Principle goal: amelioration of hematologic deficits
Need to be durable improvements
Int-2/high risk patients:
Extending survival becomes more “immediate
priority”
Prolonging time to development of AML
Supportive Care
Transfusions
Erythropoietin
G-CSF
If no blasts
Targeting Angiogenesis in MDS
Angiogenic molecules generated by the neoplastic
clone
Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A)
medullary neovascularity
clonal expansion of receptor-competent myeloblasts
Ineffective hematopoiesis in receptor naïve
progenitors
Inflammatory cytokines potentiate ineffective
hematopoiesis
Small molecule inhibitors of angiogenesis are a
potential class of therapeutics
Thalidomide
Lenalidomide (Revlamid)
Thalidomide and MDS
Anti-angiogenic and TNFα inhibitory properties
Phase II trials done
Around 18% response rate (red cell transfusion
independence or >50% decrease in transfusion
requirement)
Non-erythroid lineage improvement uncommon
Prolonged treatment necessary for maximal benefit
Median interval to response: 16 weeks
Side effect profile becomes problematic (i.e.
neuropathy)
Lenalidomide (Revlimid)
Derivative of thalidomide
More potent and lacks neurologic toxicities
Safety and efficacy trial (List et al NEJM
2/05)
RBC transfusion independence with cytogenetic
response in 10/12 (83%) patients with del 5q31
Transfusion independence in non-5q patients
39%
Sustained > 2years
Lenalidomide (Revlimid)
Phase II trial (List et al ASCO 5/05)
148 patients
Low or intermediate-1 risk (IPSS score)
Del 5q isolated (as well as other
abnormalities)
66% transfusion independence (median
duration > 47 weeks)
Cytogenetic response 70% (complete
reponse 44%)
Myelosuppression common
Other Novel Therapeutic Targets:
DNA methylation and Epigenetics
Addition of a CH3 (methyl) group to a molecule (cytosine base)
DNA methyltransferase
Epigenetics: Regulation of gene expression without altering DNA
sequence
Epigenetic silencing
Gene promoter regions get methylated
Leads to histone modifications
Chromatin is remodeled and becomes “invisible” to transcription factors
Gene is “silenced”
Important role in embryogenesis
Thought to be exploited by cancers to help express their malignant
phenotype
silence tumor-suppressor genes
DNA Methylation in MDS
Multiple genes known to be hypermethylated/silenced
P15 (cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor): frequent
target
Inactivation associated with risk of progression to
AML
Associated with disease progression
DNA Methylation Inhibitors
5-Azacytidine (AZA) and 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine
(DAC)
Cytosine analogs: inhibit DNA methylation by
trapping DNA methyltransferases
Irreversible bond, degredaded
Cells then divide in absence of DNA methyltransferases
Dosage key
Hypomethylating at low doses, cytotoxic at high doses
Maximally tolerated dose (MTD) determined in 70’s
Recent low-dose studies show response (and
hypomethylation) at 10-30 times lower than MTD
Current studies exploring optimal dosing schedules
ongoing
5-Azacytidine (Vidaza)
Phase III randomized trial (Silverman et al JCO 2002)
compared AZA to supportive care
Treatment-naïve patients (various stages)
60% response rate (hematologic) that was durable
Improved quality of life
Prolongation of median time to leukemic
transformation or death
21 months vs. 13 months (statistically significant)
Not powered for OS and cross-over permitted
Sub-cutaneous injection daily X 7 days every 28 days
FDA approval 2004 for treatment of MDS
Summary
MDS represents a group of heterogeneous
neoplastic disorders
Cytogenetics compliment morphology and
help determine prognosis and treatment
goals
New novel therapies such as 5-Azacytidine
(Vidaza) and soon to be approved
Lenalidomide (Revlimid) have added
options for non-transplant candidates