SUMMARY
The main aim of this thesis was to progress our understanding on different epidemiologic aspects of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukaemia at the population level in the Netherlands. These aspects include surveillance of the cancer burden, guideline adherence concerning diagnostics and therapy, and comparative effectiveness research. Population-based registries are useful instruments to study all patients within a well-defined area, so as to overcome patient selection which is always at hand in clinical intervention studies. The results described in this thesis provided a benchmark for incidence, diagnosis, treatment, trial participation and survival of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukaemia in the Netherlands. Future studies should provide insight whether clinical practice changed following the results described in this thesis.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2017;8(2):83–6)
