Choosing an Iron Chelation Therapy for a Patient with MDS

Many patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are transfusion-dependent and may experience some of the negative effects of iron overload. Iron chelation therapies may help these patients, removing excess iron from their bodies, but how should health care professionals choose between the available options?

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has guidelines for helping choose the therapies that are appropriate for some of these patients. In this video, Phyllis McKiernan, MSN, APN, OCN, Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, John Theurer Cancer Center explains factors that go into choosing iron chelation therapies, including methods of administration, a patient’s functional age, their comorbities, organ status, and more.

“When we choose a therapy, we want to choose a therapy that will have the least impact on the patient’s life and that’s going to give us the greatest chance for success that this patient will be adherent to the therapy and achieve the maximum benefit,” she says.