Updates in lower- and higher-risk MDS: challenges, novel agents & key clinical trials at ASH 2023

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of hematologic neoplasms which can be categorized into lower- and higher-risk disease (LR-MDS; HR-MDS). Treatment and management strategies vary for LR-MDS versus HR-MDS, and a number of challenges remain in the field. In this podcast, you will hear from leading experts who discuss several topics in LR-MDS and HR-MDS. Rena Buckstein, MD, FRCPC, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada, and Valeria Santini, MD, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, discuss challenges in LR-MDS, including red blood cell transfusion dependence and approaching patients who fail erythropoiesis‑stimulating agents (ESAs). You will also hear from Amer Zeidan, MBBS, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, Aditi Shastri, MD, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, and David Sallman, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, who discuss novel targets in HR-MDS, moving past hypomethylating agents (HMAs), and ongoing trials in the field.