Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS): Symptoms and Treatment

What are myelodysplastic syndromes?

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a rare group of bone marrow disorders in which the marrow cannot produce enough healthy blood cells. Abnormal stem cells fail to develop properly and crowd out normal cells, reducing the production of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In some patients, MDS can progress to acute myeloid leukemia.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on which blood cells are affected. Anaemia can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and pale skin. A low white-cell count (leukopenia) raises the risk of infection, while a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) leads to easy bruising and bleeding that may be hard to stop.

Subtypes and risk

The WHO classifies MDS into several subtypes based on the appearance of the marrow and the percentage of blast cells — for example, MDS with ring sideroblasts, with multilineage dysplasia, with excess blasts, or with isolated del(5q). Each subtype carries a different risk of progressing to acute leukemia, which guides treatment intensity.

Treatment options

Treatment depends on the subtype and risk level. Options include erythroid-maturation agents for anaemia, immunosuppressive therapy, lenalidomide for del(5q), and chemotherapy drugs such as azacitidine and decitabine for higher-risk disease.

Bone marrow transplantation

Bone marrow transplant — also called stem cell transplant — is a treatment that destroys the cells in the bone marrow and replaces them with new, healthy blood-forming cells from a donor. For advanced cases, it follows chemotherapy and offers the best chance of long-term control by establishing new, healthy blood-cell production.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified specialist about your individual condition.