Patients with clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) and lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have a life expectancy of 5 to 10 years. Mortality in these patients results from progression of disease to higher-risk MDS or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and cardiovascular events. Currently there are no FDA-approved treatments with the potential to improve survival of patients with CCUS and lower-risk MDS. Statins are an appealing class of drugs to consider in this situation as preclinical data support their potential to suppress progression of myeloid malignancy, and they have a well-established role in prevention of major cardiovascular events. This is a pilot study to explore the role of statins in treatment of patients with CCUS and lower-risk MDS. In this study, change in inflammatory biomarkers and variant allele frequency (VAF) of somatic mutations will be used as a surrogate marker of response to statin therapy. The hypothesis is that the use of statins at diagnosis of CCUS or lower-risk MDS will reduce inflammation and delay or prevent the expected increase in the VAF of somatic mutations over time.
Hemoglobin < 11.3 g/dL in females or < 13 g/dL in males
ANC < 1.8 x 109/L
Platelets < 150 x 109/L
MDS is defined using the WHO 2016 definition and classified into lower-risk if IPSS-R score is ≤ 3.5 . Lower-risk MDS will be required to have at least one mutation in a recurrent mutated gene with a VAF ≥ 2%.
CCUS patients with cytogenetic change alone.
Current or prior use of disease-modifying therapy (e.g., lenalidomide, Luspatercept, Imitelstat, HMAs, venetoclax) with any dose within the last 3 months, with the exception of concurrent use of erythropoetin stimulating agents
Prior use of a statin within 1 year prior to start of treatment.
A history of other malignancy with the exception of malignancies for which all treatment was completed at least 2 years before registration and the patient has no evidence active of disease.