MDS Facts

Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)

MDS is a rare blood cancer, which occurs when a someone does
not have enough healthy blood cells.
• Myelo: bone marrow, which is the body’s blood-cell factory.
• Dysplastic: abnormal growth or development.

There are many different types of MDS, some
that can remain mild and unnoticed for years and some that are
more serious.
1/20,000 people develop MDS.
MDS can affect people at ANY age
but most common aged 75 + .
9/10 patients are over 50 years old
at the time of diagnosis.

Source: NHS

What causes MDS?

Stem cells in the bone marrow don't function normally - instead of
producing healthy, mature blood cells and platelets, the marrow
creates cells that remain immature or abnormal.
The immature or abnormal cells crowd the marrow and as a result
the number of healthy cells that manage to get into the
bloodstream is lowered.

The condition can develop slowly or quickly, and in some
patients it can develop into Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).

• A low level of red blood cells is called Anemia.
• A low level of white blood cells is called Leukopenia.
• A low level of platelets is called Thrombocytopenia.

Source: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance & Bloodwise

MDS - Symptoms

Symptoms will depend on the type of MDS:

Bruising and easy Reduced immunity Weakness, fatigue
bleeding e.g. and frequent and occasional
breathlessness
nosebleeds (due to infections (due to (due to low
low number of the low number of number of red
platelets) white blood cells) blood cells.)

For most people, symptoms are mild at first and slowly get worse.
Some people with MDS do not have any symptoms and it is only
picked up when they have routine blood tests.

If you have any of these symptoms, you should speak to your GP

about them. Source: NHS

MDS - Diagnosis

Many patients are diagnosed with MDS during a routine blood test,
in other cases if it is suspected that a patient has MDS they will
under go a blood test and bone marrow test.

Blood tests will show levels normal and abnormal blood cells in the
blood

Bone marrow test will provide a sample
which can be analysed under a microscope,
this is where the type of MDS is diagnosed
as the sample will show which cell is growing
abnormally.

Source: NHS & ASCO 2017

Six Types of MDS

Refractory Refractory Myelodysplas
Anaemia with Anaemia with tic Syndrome
Excess Blasts Unclassified
Ring
Sideroblasts (RAEB) (MDS-U)

(RARS)

Refractory MDS Refractory
Cytopenia with Associated Cytopenia with
with Del (5q),
Multilineage including the Unilineage
Dysplasia 5q- Syndrome Dysplasia
(RCMD) (RCUD)

Source: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance & Bloodwise

MDS - Treatment Planning

Before planning any treatment, the doctor will consider:

Type of MDS Severity of Existing
case conditions

Patients Age Quality of life
wishes

If the patient has a low risk of MDS, the impact of the low blood
counts on the patients quality of life will also be taken into
account.

Source:Irish Cancer Society

MDS - Treatment

The aim of treatment is get the number and type of blood cells in
the bloodstream back to normal - this should eradicate symptoms.

Low risk MDS may present little or no symptoms - in cases like this
patients often avoid treatment until necessary. Instead they opt
for 'watch and wait' where their bloods are monitored regularly
for changes.
High risk MDS requires prompt treatment - this can include
chemotherapy or a donor stem cell transplant.
The only way to cure MDS is to have intensive treatment with a
stem cell transplant from a donor.

Unfortunately this type of treatment is NOT suitable for everyone.

Source: Cancer Research UK