10th anniversary of the Austrian MDS Platform: aims and ongoing projects.

The Austrian myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) Platform was founded as a national working group in 2003 to initiate and coordinate common projects in the field. The incidence of MDS in Austria is approximately 400-500 new MDS cases per year. The overall low number of MDS patients underlines the importance of a national initiative to concentrate knowledge at certain specialized centres, where treatment of these patients mainly takes place. Clinical trials as well as basic research are facilitated by the cooperation of university and non-university hospitals. Other objectives are the generation of therapeutic standards, organization of meetings to spread this information to physicians and patients as well as promoting patient-support groups. Cooperation with international working groups is another important aim of the Platform. The 10th anniversary of the Austrian MDS Platform was organized as a meeting for all interested physicians throughout Austria providing an update on the disease and ongoing projects.