MDS/CMML from resource-limited region: Characteristics and comparison to tertiary reference European center.

INTRODUCTION: Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) are clonal myeloid malignancies, characterized by bone marrow failure leading to cytopenias (and possible myeloproliferation for CMML) and a high propensity to evolve to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical and hematological features; the prevalence of MDS subtypes, R-IPSS, and the outcome of 106 Armenian MDS/CMML patients diagnosed over the 2008-2020 period in a single Armenian Hematology center and compare them to French MDS patients included in the GFM registry. RESULTS: Median age in the Armenian cohort was 64 years (range 19-84) and 55% were males. The main MDS subtypes were MDS-MLD (29.2%) and MDS-SLD (27.3%), the least frequent was del 5q (0.9%). By comparison, a higher prevalence of MDS-MLD, MDS-EB2, and MDS-RS was found in the French cohort. Armenian patients' cohort generally had poor access to standard MDS treatment and 42.3% of the patients were transfusion dependent. Overall survival, however, did not significantly differ between Armenian and French cohorts. CONCLUSION: Our study stresses issues regarding epidemiology, access to diagnosis, difficulties of risk stratification, and access to treatment.