Amifostine alone and in combination with erythropoietin for the treatment of favorable myelodysplastic syndrome

Ten anemic patients with favorable myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) were firs t treated with two 5-week courses of amifostine alone teach course consiste d of 200 mg/m(2) of the drug given intravenously three times a week for 3 w eeks), followed by an additional two courses combined with subcutaneous ery thropoietin (EPO) (150 U/kg, three times a week for 8 weeks). The study pat ients either had previously failed to respond to treatment with EPO or had pretreatment serum EPO levels of more than 100 mU/ml. None of the patients experienced a complete or partial response in anemia or other cytopenias. W e conclude that amifostine alone or in combination with EPO has limited the rapeutic activity in MDS. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.