What is MDS?
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), also referred to as myelodysplasia, is an umbrella term for several conditions in which the bone marrow does not function normally, causing shortages of one or more cell types in the blood. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside the bones of the body where red and white blood cells and platelets are made. In bone marrow of MDS patients, too few blood cells are made. The blood cells die prematurely in the marrow before being released into the blood. The impact of MDS can range from mild anemia to leukemia.
