Prognostic factors of myelodysplastic syndromes--a simplified 3-D scoring system.

From 1 January 1982 to 31 December 1986 in five haematological centers of the west of France (Rennes, Rouen, Nantes, Tours and Angers), we have collected 503 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). These cases were classified by FAB recommendation as followed: 85 refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts (RARS); 273 refractory anemia in which 86 were without blasts (RA), 153 were with excess of blasts (RAEB) and 34 were with excess of blasts and in transformation (RAEB-t); 111 chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML); and 34 cases with borderline features. The point date for statistical study was 31 December 1988, and the scoring method of Bournemouth was applied to compare with our findings (62% resulted in death, 18% in leukemic transformation). It was demonstrated that haemoglobin, platelets, and bone marrow-blasts are the best factors to predict survival or leukaemic transformation (LT). But peripheral neutrophils don't affect the survival time excepted when lower than 500 microliters (13 months vs 19.6 months). A scoring system based on haemoglobin (Hb), platelets (Pl), and bone marrow blasts (BMB) may be represented in a three-dimensional space and is a good tool to know the own value of each parameter. This 3-D system shows that BMB and Pl are the most important factors and are correlated with survival, per cent of death, and LT (p less than 0.0001). The LT is observed in 18% of the whole population. RAEB and RAEB-t progress in AML2 (14.6%) or AML4 (1.4%), and CMML progress in AML2 (8.1%) or AML4 (11.7%). We observed that monocytes are not good parameters to predict the type of leukemic transformation. Furthermore, survival of RA treated with Ara-C(ld) or not treated was similar.