Hematopoietic growth factors in myelodysplastic syndromes.

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized clinically by refractory cytopenias in one or more myeloid cell lines and an increased probability of transformation to acute leukemia. Supportive care remains the mainstay of therapy in MDS and frequently includes monotherapy and combination therapy with hematopoietic growth factors, such as erythropoietin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of growth factors to improve neutropenia and anemia in selected patients with MDS, which may have clinical, quality-of-life, and economic benefits for patients even though overall survival has not been improved. This paper reviews the role of hematopoietic growth factors in the treatment of MDS.