Dr. Lenis studies myelodysplastic syndromes, a type of blood cancer that affects how blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, and essential tremor, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary shaking. He works on various treatment options for these conditions, including therapies like erythropoietin stimulating agents and iron chelation therapy, aiming to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. His research examines how patient-specific factors, such as frailty and socioeconomic status, can influence survival and treatment responses, helping doctors make more informed decisions.
Key findings
In a trial of bilateral focused ultrasound thalamotomy for essential tremor, patients' quality of life scores improved by an average of 19.7 points, and all participants would choose the treatment again.
In a study of 644 MDS patients, those with a higher frailty index had an average survival of only 27 months, indicating that this index can effectively predict patient outcomes.
Among 99 MDS patients with severe thrombocytopenia, 6% experienced severe bleeding, emphasizing the variability in treatment effects on bleeding rates.
Patients with MDS who received iron chelation therapy lived an average of 5.2 years, compared to 2.1 years for those who did not, indicating significant survival benefits.
In patients requiring blood transfusions, those with antibody matching had a 11% alloimmunization rate, while those without matching had a 23% rate, showing the importance of careful transfusion practices.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dr. Lenis study essential tremor?
Yes, Dr. Lenis researches treatments for essential tremor, focusing on methods like bilateral focused ultrasound thalamotomy.
What treatments has Dr. Lenis researched for myelodysplastic syndromes?
He has studied various treatments for MDS, including erythropoietin stimulating agents and iron chelation therapy, to improve patient outcomes.
Is Dr. Lenis's work relevant to older patients?
Yes, much of Dr. Lenis's research investigates how age-related factors and frailty impact outcomes for older patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.
How does socioeconomic status affect outcomes in myelodysplastic syndrome?
Dr. Lenis's research indicates that while age and health are important, a patient's income level does not directly impact survival, suggesting healthcare access may play a bigger role.
What are the key survival predictors for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes?
Key predictors include frailty and comorbidity; higher frailty can raise the risk of death by up to 2.7 times.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society
Iorio-Morin C, Yamamoto K, Sarica C, Zemmar A, Levesque M +13 more
Plain English This study explored a treatment for patients with essential tremor who still have symptoms after medication. Researchers tested a procedure called bilateral focused ultrasound thalamotomy on ten patients and found significant improvements: quality of life scores increased by an average of 19.7 points, and all patients said they would choose to have the treatment again. While seven patients experienced mild side effects, the overall safety was similar to a previous, single-side treatment, showing that this method can effectively reduce tremors and enhance quality of life for patients.
Who this helps: Patients with essential tremor.
An MDS-specific frailty index based on cumulative deficits adds independent prognostic information to clinical prognostic scoring.
2020
Leukemia
Starkman R, Alibhai S, Wells RA, Geddes M, Zhu N +21 more
Plain English Researchers created a frailty index specifically for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), which tracks various health issues and performance measures to better predict patient outcomes. They studied 644 MDS patients and found that those with a higher frailty index, with scores ranging from 0.05 to 0.67, had a significantly different survival outlook, with overall survival averaging 27 months. This index improves upon existing risk assessment methods, helping doctors make more accurate predictions about how long patients might live after their diagnosis.
Who this helps: This research benefits doctors and patients with MDS by providing a clearer understanding of individual risk levels.
The management and outcomes of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with persistent severe thrombocytopenia: An observational single centre registry study.
2019
Leukemia research
Vijenthira A, Premkumar D, Callum J, Lin Y, Wells RA +4 more
Plain English This study looked at patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who have a severe drop in platelets, a condition affecting 10% of those with MDS. Among 99 patients with this condition, 6% experienced severe bleeding, and the average survival time was about 10 months. Most patients who received tranexamic acid or no treatment didn't need additional platelet transfusions or have serious bleeding, suggesting that treatment choices may vary greatly but don't significantly affect bleeding rates.
Who this helps: This research benefits patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and their doctors by providing insights into treatment outcomes and options.
Prophylactic RhCE and Kell antigen matching: impact on alloimmunization in transfusion-dependent patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.
2017
Vox sanguinis
Lin Y, Saskin A, Wells RA, Lenis M, Mamedov A +2 more
Plain English This study looked at the rates of immune reaction in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who often need blood transfusions. Among 176 patients, those at hospitals that matched specific blood antigens (RhCE and Kell) before transfusions had an alloimmunization rate of 11%, while those at hospitals that did not match these antigens had a higher rate of 23%. This matters because reducing alloimmunization can prevent complications and improve patient care, especially since no patients who received matched transfusions developed those immune reactions.
Who this helps: This helps transfusion-dependent patients with MDS.
Overall survival in lower IPSS risk MDS by receipt of iron chelation therapy, adjusting for patient-related factors and measuring from time of first red blood cell transfusion dependence: an MDS-CAN analysis.
2017
British journal of haematology
Leitch HA, Parmar A, Wells RA, Chodirker L, Zhu N +19 more
Plain English This study looked at patients with a blood condition called myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who depend on blood transfusions and how iron chelation therapy (ICT) affects their survival. It found that patients who received ICT lived longer than those who did not—specifically, 5.2 years compared to 2.1 years. The results show that not receiving ICT increased the risk of death by more than double, highlighting the potential benefits of this treatment.
Who this helps: This helps patients with myelodysplastic syndrome who rely on blood transfusions.
A predictive model of response to erythropoietin stimulating agents in myelodysplastic syndrome: from the Canadian MDS patient registry.
2017
Annals of hematology
Houston BL, Jayakar J, Wells RA, Lenis M, Zhang L +16 more
Plain English This study looked at how well certain scoring systems predict how patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (a type of blood cancer) will respond to treatments called erythropoietin stimulating agents (ESAs). Researchers analyzed data from 208 patients and found that 47% experienced an improvement in their anemia, with response rates being similar for two types of ESAs. The study identified that having a low-risk score and low serum EPO levels were strong indicators of a better treatment response and proposed a new scoring system that could help predict outcomes more accurately.
Who this helps: This helps patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and their doctors in choosing more effective treatments.
Patient-related factors independently impact overall survival in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes: an MDS-CAN prospective study.
2016
British journal of haematology
Buckstein R, Wells RA, Zhu N, Leitch HA, Nevill TJ +16 more
Plain English This study looked at how factors like frailty, disability, and physical ability affect survival in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), analyzing data from 445 patients aged around 73 years. Researchers found that those with higher frailty and more health issues had significantly shorter survival rates; for instance, frailty raised the risk of death by 2.7 times and comorbidity increased it by 1.8 times. Understanding these factors can help doctors better predict patient outcomes and tailor treatments for older MDS patients.
Who this helps: This helps patients with MDS and their doctors in managing their care.
Lenalidomide and metronomic melphalan for CMML and higher risk MDS: a phase 2 clinical study with biomarkers of angiogenesis.
2014
Leukemia research
Buckstein R, Kerbel R, Cheung M, Shaked Y, Chodirker L +9 more
Plain English This study looked at a combination treatment of lenalidomide and low-dose melphalan for patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and higher risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Out of 19 patients evaluated, 15% showed an improvement in their condition, with higher success rates of 25% in CMML patients and 33% in a subgroup called pCMML. The treatment also appeared to reduce blood vessel-related cells in patients who responded, suggesting it may help slow down tumor growth.
Who this helps: This research benefits patients with CMML and higher risk MDS who need effective treatment options.
Income and outcome in myelodysplastic syndrome: the prognostic impact of SES in a single-payer system.
2013
Leukemia research
England JT, Zhang L, Buckstein R, Lenis M, Li C +2 more
Plain English This study looked at how a patient's income level affects their survival in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of blood cancer, by analyzing data from 312 patients. Researchers found that while age and other medical factors were important for survival, income level didn't impact how long patients lived; surprisingly, higher income patients were more likely to progress to a more severe form of the disease. This matters because it suggests that differences in survival among various income groups might be more about access to healthcare than income itself.
Who this helps: Patients with MDS and healthcare providers.