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Hematologic Malignancies Program

Patient and Family Education

Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)

What are Myelodysplastic Syndromes?

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of diseases in which the bone marrow does not function normally and not enough normal blood cells are made.

These abnormal bone marrow cells do not form blood cells effectively and most of the blood cells produced by these abnormal marrow cells are defective. These abnormal blood cells are usually destroyed before they leave the bone marrow or shortly after entering the bloodstream.

As a result, patients have shortages of blood cells, which are reflected in their low blood counts. In about 30 percent of cases of MDS, the bone marrow cells continue to become more abnormal, and eventually develop into acute leukemia, a rapidly growing cancer of bone marrow cells.

According to the American Cancer Society, in about 30 percent of MDS cases, the abnormal bone marrow cells eventually progress into acute leukemia. Although some doctors believe MDS is an early form of leukemia, many MDS patients never develop leukemia.

This page was last updated on: October 7, 2009.

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