Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a group of disorders that gradually affect the ability of a person’s bone marrow to produce normal blood cells.
Bone marrow is a semi-liquid tissue located inside many bones such as the backbones, shoulder blades, ribs, pelvis, and stomach. The blood-forming cells within the bone marrow are responsible for producing and forming new red blood cells that transport oxygen throughout the body, white blood cells to help fight against infections, and specialized clotting cells that help control bleeding and bruising.
Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of disorders caused by blood cells that are poorly formed or don’t work properly. Myelodysplastic syndromes result from something amiss in the spongy material inside your bones where blood cells are made (bone marrow).
People with myelodysplastic syndromes have a risk of the disease progressing to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which is a bone marrow malignancy. Some studies suggest that AML is a natural progression of MDS and not a separate disease. In some people, MDS may gradually progress over a period of many years while in others it progresses rapidly to AML.
The risk of myelodysplastic syndromes increases with age as the disease commonly affects older people between the ages of 58 and 75. It is estimated that MDS affects 15 to 50 people per 100,000 Americans who are over the age of 70. Up to 20,000 new cases of myelodysplastic syndromes are diagnosed each year. However, since there are no actual registries listing the incidence of myelodysplastic syndromes, some researchers estimate that the numbers may actually be much higher. For example, anemia in older individuals may be ascribed to “old age” without consideration of the possibility of myelodysplastic syndromes.
The incidence of myelodysplastic syndromes in children is only 5% to 7% of all pediatric hematologic malignancies. It has been reported that up to 17% of childhood AML may result from a prior myelodysplastic phase. About 2% to 3% of all cases of juvenile leukemia are associated with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia.
Knowledge is Critical when Dealing with a Life-Altering Condition such as Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Overtime, myelodysplastic syndromes might cause:
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Unusual paleness (pallor), which occurs due to a low red blood cell count (anemia)
Easy or unusual bruising or bleeding, which occurs due to a low blood platelet count (thrombocytopenia)
Pinpoint-sized red spots just beneath the skin that are caused by bleeding (petechiae)
Frequent infections, which occur due to a low white blood cell count (leukopenia)
Management of myelodysplastic syndromes is most often intended to slow the disease, ease symptoms and prevent complications. Common measures include blood transfusions and medications to boost blood cell production. In certain situations, a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, may be recommended to replace your bone marrow with healthy bone marrow from a donor.
Risk Factors:
Factors that can increase your risk of myelodysplastic syndromes include:
Older age. Most people with myelodysplastic syndromes are older than 60.
Previous treatment with chemotherapy or radiation. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy, both of which are commonly used to treat cancer, can increase your risk of myelodysplastic syndromes.
Exposure to certain chemicals. Chemicals, including benzene, have been linked to myelodysplastic syndromes.
