Myelodysplastic syndromes: Aspects of current medical care and economic considerations in Germany

Gattermann, Norbert; Hofmann, Wolf-Karsten; Meeßen, Axel; Schmitz, Stephan; Tsamaloukas, Anton; Vollmer, Tanja; Wedding, Ulrich; Plesnila-Frank, Carlotta; Schramm, Wolfgang and Berger, Karin (2008): Myelodysplastic syndromes: Aspects of current medical care and economic considerations in Germany. In: Onkologie, No. 8-9: pp. 477-484

Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of diseases mainly affecting older people. The use of an increasing number of therapeutic options depends on a systematic risk stratification of the patients. A high percentage of MDS patients need blood transfusions as supportive care, which influence quality of life and cause a great part of the costs generated by MDS therapy. In this article which is based on a workshop about the burden of MDS held in October 2006 in Munich, MDS is discussed with regard to different aspects: current therapies, transfusion medicine, geriatrics, quality of life, and health economic aspects.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Form of publication: Publisher's Version
• Faculties: Medicine
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 0378-584X
• Alliance/National Licence: This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.
• Language: English