Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Question: What is the difference between Myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myeloid leukemia?

Answer: Myelodysplastic syndromes are bone marrow stem cell disorders that cause inefficient blood production. CML is unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and the accumulation of these cells in the blood. It is also a marrow stem cell disorder.

Question: What are the marrow feature in myelodysplastic syndrome? What are the abnormalities? Thanks

Answer: marrow cellularity is ussually increased but occasionally may be normal or hypoplastic. When there appears to decreased cellularity., there are islands of abnormal appearing cells, which are often atypical megakaryosites. The erythroid series is usually hyperplastic with megaloblast and apparent nuclear cytoplasmic maturation abnormalities. There are nuclear fragments in stippled erythroblast with poorly hemoglobinized cells. On staining for iron with prussian blue, an increase in macrophage iron is usually found. Moreover importantly, increased number of erythroblast that contain siderosomes (cytoplastic ferritin containing vacuoles), are referred as abnormal sideroblast. Ringed sideroblast, mitocondrial iron aggregated around the nucleus in a ring shape, are common in acquired refractory anemia. Granulocytic hyperplasia also found, so do hypogranulation, pelger huet, megakaryocytes, micromegakaryocytes, increased blast and increased other white cell precursors

Question: Does anyone know the life expectancy of someone with Myelodysplastic Syndrome? My mother has had the disease for five years and has been doing great with her treatment, however she was just informed that her last blood test was not good.

Answer: There are no "set in stone" survival statistics. Women generally do better than men. What you want to be doing is watching the trend in her test results rather than placing too much emphasis on any single exam results. http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/all_page.adp?item_id=55445 good luck to you both

Question: Do myelodysplastic syndrome always present with immunologic abnormalities? What phenomen is it? Thanks

Answer: Any insult to our bodies may lead to immunologic reactions. Up to 30% of patients shows evidence of some autoimmune phenomen. These may range from laboratory test abnormalities, such as positive rheumatoid factor, to syndrome with prominent cutaneous vasculitis, arthritis and fever. Other manifestation are xerositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, Raynaud's phenomen, and Sjogren syndrome. These syndrome generally respond to steroid therapy

Question: What are the peripheral blood smear clues for myelodysplastic syndrome? thanks

Answer: Since MDS is a disorder of myeloid stem cell, there are frequently abnormalities in all three cell lines pn peripheral blood smears. The hallmark is macrocytic red cells, with second population of hypochromic and coarsely stippled ones. basophilic stippling, howell jolly bodies, immature white cells that normally not in circulation, pelger huet with bilobed / ring shaped nuclei, decreased/ absent of cytoplasmic granules, abnormal number of platelet, poorly granulated platelet or circulating fragment of megakaryocytes are found. Abnormalities in more than one cell are highly suggestive for MDS, especially in absence of peripheral circulating blast.

Question: Anyone else out there with myelodysplastic syndrome facing a bone marrow transplant?

Answer: I am actually a leukemia patient, but I have been through the transplant. Feel free to contact me if you wish. Also check out these sites www.marrow.org http://www.bmtinfonet.org/services.html

Question: Is there a link between myelodysplastic syndrome and having a genetic predisposition to develop colon cancer?

Answer: Not that I see listed, however there is a predisposition to develop acute myeloid leukemia. I don't know whether this is a genetic predisposition or whether it is just a change in MDS for the worse. http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1526.htm

Question: Besides chemo, how can I treat Myelodysplastic Syndrome? Bone marrow tests showed low platelets, and blood cells dying before they reach maturty, but very low blast cells.

Answer: here are some links to MDS and clinical trials and bone marrow transplant (if that applies ) Myelodysplastic syndrome http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdbdetail_abstract.html?disname=Myelodysplastic%20Syndromes (NORD…scroll down for support organizations) http://www.aamds.org/aplastic/ (aplastic anemia and MDS organization) http://www.aplastic.org/aplastic/disease_information/about_the_diseases/meylodsyplastic_synd.php (about MDS and MDS drugs) http://www.aplastic.org/aplastic/disease_information/drug_information/mds_treatments.php (drugs for MDS) http://www.aplastic.org/aplastic/disease_information/drug_information/erythropoietin_infor.php (FDA warning on erythropoetin stimulating drugs..epogen, aransep, procrit..can cause increased tumor growth and heart attack in cancer patients with anemia) http://www.aplastic.org/aplastic/patient_clinical_tri/mds_trials/ (MDS clinical trials) http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/search;jsessionid=AFE75BA6B68795A36460CF53DC8EE7C1?term=myelodysplastic+syndrome&submit=Search (MDS clinical trials…hit map to find local trials..don’t forget to turn pages to see all trials) http://www.cancer.gov/Templates/doc.aspx?viewid=7C5CCBC9-ADAD-4683-8448-E705FB912971&ReqUrl=%2Fclinicaltrials%2Fsearch (national cancer institute clinical trials…find myelodysplatic anemia and chose de novo-newly diagnosed or previously treated and go from there) http://patientrecruitment.nhlbi.nih.gov/MDS.aspx (patient recruitment for MDS clinical trials and studies at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) http://www.bu.edu/prs/mds/ (Slone patient registry for MDS) Bone marrow transplants http://www.nbmtlink.org/ (National Bone Marrow Transplant link) http://www.marrow.org/ (National Bone Marrow Donor link) http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Undrstnd_Disease_Treat/Lrn_about_Disease/ALL/index.html (National Bone Marrow Donor program…acute lymphoblastic leukemia) http://www.marrow.org/ABOUT/Connecting_Patients_w_Donors/The_Registry/index.html (about the National Bone Marrow Donor program) http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Undrstnd_Disease_Treat/Undrstnd_Treat_Opt/Lrn_Clinical_Trials/Find_Trial/index.html (clinical trials by type) https://web.emmes.com/study/bmt/ (Bone Marrow Transplant clinical network) http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/Plan_for_Tx/Planning_for_Tx_Costs/Financial_Assistance_for_Trans/index.html (financial assistance for bone marrow transplant patients..ie leukemia,etc) 3 books on disease symptoms and treatments you could also get these books on ebay or amazon or a half price book store. (last two are very similar).. 1.Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine 2.Handbook of Diseases (Lippencott) 3.Professional Guide to Diseases (Springhouse)

Question: what is the mortality rate for Myelodysplastic syndrome in and 80 year old woman?

Answer: Assuming that you know more about Myelodysplastic syndrome than I do then you should understand this better than I do: Prognosis and prognostic indicator in MDS Indicators of a good prognosis in MDS Younger age; normal or moderately reduced neutrophil or platelet counts; low blast counts in the bone marrow(<20%) and no blasts in the blood; no Auer rods; ringed sideroblasts; normal karyotypes of mixed karyotypes without complex chromosome abnormalities and in vitro marrow culture- non leukemic growth pattern. Indicators of a poor prognosis in MDS: Advanced age; Severe neutropenia or thrombocytopenia high blast count in the bone marrow (20-29%) or blasts in the blood Auer rods absence of ringed sideroblasts abnormal localization or immature granulocyte precursors in bone marrow section all or mostly abnormal karyotypes or complex marrow chromosome abnormalities in vitro bone emarrow culture-leukemic growth pattern. Prognosis and karyotype Good: Normal,-Y,del(5q); Intermaediate: All other abnormalities Poor; Complex(>3 abnormalities); chromosome 7 anomalies The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) is the most commonly used tool in MDS to predict long-term outcome. Maybe you can visit the Wikipeida page and cut & paste that bit and show it to her doctor to ask him or her to explain it to you in laymans terms. Good luck

Question: I have myelodysplastic syndrome? I found out about this about 4 years ago. I don't feel like their is anything wrong with me. People that have this can you tell me about your experiences with it. Should I change my eating habit things like that.

Answer: Myelodysplasia syndrome or MDS will cause low hemoglobin and platelets. Some MDS patients contract leukemia in the future. Take the best care of yourself, and listen to your hematologist and be compliant with his/her advice.

Question: Has anyone received Aranesp injections for anemia or myelodysplastic syndrome? What side effects did you experience? Were they bad? PLEASE answer my question if you can! Just diagnosed with myeloblastic syndrome and SCARED!

Answer: I've had it after chemo treatments made my counts drop... It wasn't too bad...kinda stings when they inject you....I had sort of a weird side effect...I got muscle spasms...my hands cramped up and got these weird "catches" in my sides....we know it was from the drug, because of the time frame between the chemo treatment and the injection.... I always get weird side effects....just my luck! Good luck with your treatments!!!

Question: What is myelodysplastic syndrome?can isonizid(present in ATT) create symptoms of it?Is there any cure of it? from where can I get treatment in Pakistan?

Answer: go to: www.lrf.org.uk/en/1/infdispatmye.html

Question: with myelodysplastic syndrome why does the body stop producing blood?

Answer: the blood is synthesized in the bone marrow of the long bones. in MDS (Myelo-Dysplastic Syndrome), the bone marrow undergoes FIBROSIS i.e. replacement of blood elements with fibrous tissue that are not functional so the bone marrow does not produce blood any more. As why the bone marrow become fibrosed, many theories, one of them is the megakaryoblast ( that is responsible for synthesis of platelets) will secret some factors that enhances the producton of collagen causing fibrosis.

Question: My grandma has myelodysplastic syndrome. How is this related to Leukemia (if it is)? She's tried various treatments. Had transfusions, which went to every 3 weeks. Now is starting Chemo. She is 72. Any ino would be great! Thanks.

Answer: It is a syndrome where the bone marrow failed to make normal pre-blood cells (hematopoetic cells) resulting in blood cells deficiency (pan-cytopenia) It does have a relation to leukemia since it can transform to acute myeloid leukemia -> where the damaged bone marrow cells replaced by the leukemia cells The transfusion is needed because of the blood cells deficiency.

Question: Dx early Myelodysplastic Syndrome, should I worry, get 2nd opin.,do not know what to expect if anything. help?

Answer: http://rarediseases.about.com/od/raredis… this website will tell you alot of what you need to know.

Question: Is Myelodysplastic syndrome genetic?

Answer: Yes and no. Yes, there are changes in the genes which are involved. No, it's not typically considered hereditary. More likely consided related to exposure to hazardous chemicals.