What are the treatments for myelodysplastic syndromes?
Treatments for myelodysplastic syndromes vary according to the severity of a person’s MDS. People with mild cases may not require treatment. Those with low blood cell counts may be helped by medication. Chemotherapy may be used in serious cases. In the rare case that the patient is under age fifty, an aggressive course of treatment using chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplantation may be considered. The most successful treatment for aplastic anemia is bone marrow transplantation. This procedure is most likely to be effective when a related donor with marrow similar to the patient’s (matched marrow) is available. Unrelated or unmatched donors succeed in some cases as well. Immunosuppressive drug therapy may also be helpful, but increases the patient’s risk of developing leukemia later on. Other types of treatments, such as blood transfusions, peripheral stem cell transplants, and clinical trials, may also be available.
