Case Study: Importance of Iron Chelation Therapy in MDS

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Azra Raza, MD, has been dedicated to treating and researching myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) for over 30 years. In an average week, Raza treats approximately 50 patients with MDS, which has led to an in-depth understanding of the chronic morbidities associated with this disease, including iron overload.

As an example of the importance of iron chelation therapy (ICT), Raza describes a male patient with low-risk MDS in his late 60s who developed signs of chronic iron overload following treatment. However, the patient was resistant to receiving ICT, which resulted in his hospitalization for acute heart failure.

A T2* MRI showed immense iron overload with a ferritin level greater than 7000 µg/g, which required aggressive ICT. After nearly 2 months of treatment, the patient was released from the hospital. This case study demonstrates the dangers associated with not managing iron levels, Raza suggests.