Lenalidomide has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with an interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5 and, more recently, in combination with dexamethasone for multiple myeloma in patients who received at least one prior therapy. This discussion examines several clinically relevant, practical considerations regarding dosing, monitoring, follow-up evaluation, adverse events, and available support for lenalidomide recipients and their prescribing physicians in the MDS setting.
References
1.
ListA., KurtinS., RoeD.J.Efficacy of lenalidomide in myelodysplastic syndromes. N Engl J Med.2005; 352: 549–557.
2.
ListA., DewaldG., BennettJ.Lenalidomide in the myelodysplastic syndrome with chromosome 5q deletion. N Engl J Med.2006; 355: 1456–1465.
3.
BartlettJ.B., DredgeK., DalgleishA.G.The evolution of thalidomide and its IMiD derivatives as anticancer agents. Nat Rev Cancer.2004; 4: 314–322.
4.
GiagounidisA.A., GermingU., StruppC.Prognosis of patients with del(5q) MDS and complex karyotype and the possible role of lenalidomide in this patient subgroup. Ann Hematol.2005; 84: 569–571.
RajkumarS.V., BloodE.Lenalidomide and venous thrombosis in multiple myeloma. N Engl J Med.2006; 354: 2079–2080.
7.
NiesvizkyR., SpencerA., WangM.Increased risk of thrombosis with lenalidomide in combination with dexamethasone and erythropoietin. Proc Annu Meet Am Soc Clin Oncol.2006; 24(18s): 7506. Abstract.