LAUSR

Iron overload (IOL) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is mainly attributable to chronic transfusion therapy. The importance of iron chelation therapy (ICT) in MDS has been a matter of debate. The Telesto study, the only randomized, placebo-controlled trial of ICT with deferasirox in MDS, showed improved event-free survival with ICT in patients with lower-risk MDS. Although Telesto was not powered to detect differences between deferasirox and placebo for single-event categories of the composite primary endpoint for event-free survival, results are consistent with the view that iron-related cardiac dysfunction is ameliorated by ICT in elderly patients with MDS.