Myelodysplastic syndromes Myelodysplastic syndromes: (my-eh-lo-diss-PLASS-tik SIN-dromez) A group of disorders where the bone marrow does not work well, and the bone marrow cells fail to make enough healthy blood cells. Myelo refers to the bone marrow. Dysplastic means abnormal growth or development. People with MDS have low blood cell count for at… (MDS) are broadly categorized as lower- and higher-risk with lower-risk dominated by cytopenias and higher-risk plagued by the risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia acute myeloid leukemia: (uh-KYOOT my-uh-LOYD loo-KEE-mee-uh) A cancer of the blood cells. It happens when very young white blood cells (blasts) in the bone marrow fail to mature. The blast cells stay in the bone marrow and become to numerous. This slows production of red blood cells and platelets. Some cases of MDS become… (AML). The management of MDS utilize a risk-adapted approach aimed at ameliorating cytopenias in lower-risk MDS (LR-MDS) and preventing AML transformation in higher-risk MDS. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a potentially curative intent therapy in higher-risk MDS; however, it is not routinely recommended in LR-MDS in view of unfavorable risk/benefit ratio. Therefore, the goal of treatment in LR-MDS is aimed at improving the transfusion burden and health related quality of life. Currently, erythropoiesis stimulating agents (recombinant erythropoietin erythropoietin: (i-rith-row-POY-uh-tun) A protein made by the kidneys. Erythropoietin, also called EPO, is created in response to low oxygen levels in the body (anemia). EPO causes the bone marrow to make more red blood cells. A shortage of EPO can also cause anemia. ), erythroid maturation agents (luspatercept), disease modifying agents (lenalidomide) and hypomethylating agents are the agents of choice in the treatment of LR-MDS. This review will discuss the current treatment standards, meaningful clinical outcomes, and emerging therapies in LR-MDS.
Keywords: LR-MDS; MDS; TWiTR; imetelstat imetelstat: Who should not take RYTELO? Before taking RYTELO, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. RYTELO may harm your unborn baby and may cause loss of pregnancy. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you… ; lenalidomide lenalidomide: Lenalidomide is a capsule that is taken by mouth. It is approved for treating low-risk, transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients with an abnormality of chromosome 5q. It is currently in clinical trials to test its efficacy with a broader range of MDS patients. For some MDS… ; luspatercept.