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Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) encompass a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by cytopenias of varying severity. Although many patients with MDS are asymptomatic, others have progressive, anemia-related fatigue and require red blood cell transfusions. Treatment with erythroid-stimulating agents (ESAs), including erythropoietin (EPO), can boost red blood cell production and reduce the need for transfusions, but some clinicians are reluctant to prescribe ESAs in light of reports associating them with cardiovascular and thrombotic events and shortened survival times in cancer patients.
To examine the effects of EPO on anemia as well as the contributions of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), investigators randomized 110 …