How is myelodysplastic syndrome treated? Do I need a bone marrow transplant?

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), commonly known as pre-leukemia, is a group of acquired clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by abnormal bone marrow hematopoietic cell development (pathologic hematopoiesis) with or without primitive cell growth and ineffective hematopoiesis, resulting in a decrease in peripheral blood cells and the presence of a small number of primitive cells. A proportion of patients with MDS may develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML) within months to years. The onset of the disease is relatively slow, and the symptoms and signs are mainly a reflection of various types of cytopenias, including anemia, bleeding, infections, and in more advanced cases, lymph nodes and hepatosplenomegaly. There is no specific treatment for MDS, but it should be based on the patient’s clinical risk and specific conditions: 1. For low-risk and intermediate-risk patients, supportive therapy should be used, such as regular blood transfusions, androgenic drugs, erythropoietin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, cyclosporine A, and reactive stop, to correct the degree of hematocrit reduction, Improve the quality of life. If the disease progresses, bone marrow transplantation can be considered. 2. For intermediate-risk and high-risk patients who are younger (<55 years old) and in good physical condition, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can be done as soon as possible after combining chemotherapy with acute myeloid leukemia protocol. However, in clinical work, we often encounter patients who have been transformed into acute leukemia or have a high proportion of bone marrow primitive cells, and who cannot achieve complete remission with chemotherapy, and finally lose the chance of transplantation due to severe combined infection. 3. For intermediate-risk II and high-risk patients who are older (>55 years old) and in poor physical condition, small doses of cytarabine, VP-16, trichostatin, and melphalan can be used. chemotherapy.