Risk Factors
Risk factors include:
Age: MDS is most commonly diagnosed in the older population (over age 65).
Medical History: Patients who have had previous cancer treatments (chemotherapy and radiation therapy) are at a higher risk.
Chemical Exposure: Long-term exposure to certain environmental or industrial chemicals, including tobacco smoke, pesticides, fertilizers, and solvents such as benzene increase a person’s risk. Exposure to heavy metals like lead or mercury also cause a person to have an increased risk.
Smoking: (it is known that the risk of developing AML (a type of MDS) is 1.6 times greater for smokers than for non-smokers.)
Signs and symptoms for MDS vary depending on the type of blood cell that is affected
Red blood cells, which are the most common type of blood cell, carry oxygen from the lungs throughout the body and carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Having a low red blood cell count causes anemia, which depending on its severity can have several symptoms including:
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Pale skin
Heart palpitations
Chest pain
White blood cells that guard the body against infection have different types of cells. The most common is the neutrophil. Having a low number of neutrophils in the blood is a condition called neutropenia which can lead to severe infections including:
Skin infections
Nasal congestion / sinus infections
Lung infections including cough / shortness of breath
Urinary tract infections
Fever
Platelets which are a type of blood cell help the blood to clot. A low platelet count called thrombocytopenia can result in:
Abnormal bleeding including nosebleeds and bleeding gums
Bruising
Diagnosis
Blood work including a complete blood count (CBC) which measures the numbers of red and white blood cells as well as platelets.
A microscopic examination of the blood or bone marrow examining the different types of cells and the appearance of their cells to see if they are normal and healthy appearing.
The pathologist will be particularly interested in determining what percentage of the cells are very early types of blood cells are called blasts. With MDS, these blasts don’t develop properly. For MDS to be confirmed, patients will have <20% of blasts.
Bone marrow biopsy and possible molecular testing of the bone marrow sample
Chromosome and/or DNA analysis of blood cells and bone marrow sample.
Treatment
Treatment for MDS varies based on symptoms, state of disease, and quality of life. All patients will continue to require routine bloodwork and monitoring of symptoms. Other treatment may include:
Supportive care such as antibiotics to treat infections or red blood cell or platelet transfusions to improve anemia and prevent bleeding.
Red blood cell stimulating growth factors
Chemotherapy
Stem cell transplant
Helpful Patient Resources:
We understand that receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a very scary and it is an emotional time for the patient and their families. It is very important to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your oncologist / hematologist. We highly recommend that if you do any research about your disease, that you do so only with reputable sources. For your convenience, we’ve listed some below.
National Cancer Institute
Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version
American Cancer Society
What Are Myelodysplastic Syndromes?
Types of Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Key Statistics for Myelodysplastic Syndromes
National Comprehensive Cancer Network