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The following is a summary of “Efficacy and safety of decitabine combined with arsenic trioxide in elderly high-risk myelodysplastic neoplasm patients: a retrospective study,” published in the April 2025 issue of Hematology by Yang. 

Elderly patients with high-risk myelodysplastic neoplasm (MDS) have poor outcomes and few treatment options. Many progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study on decitabine (DAC) with arsenic trioxide (ATO) for elderly high-risk MDS. 

They analyzed 120 elderly high-risk patients with MDS, 52 in the ATO-DAC (ATO-DAC group) and 68 in the DAC monotherapy (DAC group). Overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed, and adverse events were recorded and compared. 

The results showed a higher ORR in the ATO-DAC group (78.85%) than in the DAC group (52.94%, P=0.026). Median PFS was 7.5 vs. 5.0 months (P=0.021), and median OS was 14.5 vs. 11.5 months (P=0.034). Adverse events were more frequent in the ATO-DAC group but remained manageable. 

Investigators found that DAC-ATO improved response rates and survival in elderly high-risk MDS while maintaining a manageable safety profile. 

Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16078454.2025.2485493