Clinical impact of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia in patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Up to 40% of patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS) could experience deterioration or progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. We conducted a study to assess whether HR-MDS progression to AML had an unfavorable impact on patient life expectancy after initiating treatment for HR-MDS. Our study concluded that patients who experienced progression to AML had a higher chance of dying immediately after their progression to AML than patients who did not. Patients who received azacitidine and decitabine as their first treatment for HR-MDS had similar results.