Impact of risk scores in outcome of patients with myeloid neoplasms after allogeneic stem cell transplant

Background The main causes of failure of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-transplant) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are relapse and transplant-related mortality. Different scores have been designed to predict the prognosis of these patients. The objective of this study was to assess which score or combination has better outcome predictive capacity. Methods Retrospective analysis of patients with AML and MDS who received a first peripheral blood allo-transplant in a single center, between December 2001 and October 2019. Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and Disease Risk Index (DRI) scores were calculated. For each score and for the HCT-CI/DRI and HCT-CI/EBMT combinations, overall survival (OS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), non-relapse-related mortality (NRM), and graft versus host disease-free relapse-free survival (GRFS) were analyzed. Results 175 patients were evaluated. With a median (range) follow-up of 3.96 (0.32–17.22) years, the 5-year probabilities (95% CI) of OS, CIR, NRM, and GRFS were 36% (28%–44%), 28% (21%–35%), 38% (30%–46%) and 24% (17%–31%), respectively. For OS, only the DRI score selected two groups with statistically significant differences (DRI 0–1: 41% vs. DRI ≥2: 24%; p = 0.011). The combination of DRI 0–1 and HCT-CI 0–2 showed OS probabilities of 45% vs. 26% for those with DRI 0–1 and HCT-CI ≥3; p = 0.041. Conclusions In patients with AML and MDS submitted to allo-transplant, the combination of HCT-CI and DRI scores provided the best stratification for OS.