Treatment
Treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome depends on the blood count, the stage of the disease, the prognosis of the patient, and the expectations of the patients. The main therapeutic goal is to maintain appropriate levels of blood cell lines, which is why blood transfusions are commonly used as supportive therapy.
Therapy for myelodysplastic syndrome should be decided and monitored by a hematologist and may include aggressive measures such as stem cell transplantation and chemotherapy. This is usually performed in young patients and those with a higher risk.
Bone marrow stimulation with hematopoietic growth factors is recommended in patients with symptomatic anemia, and it is sometimes used along with iron supplementation. Drugs commonly used in myelodysplastic syndrome include topotecan or Hycamtin, lenalidomide, and hypomethylating agents. In some cases, it will be necessary to use immunosuppressive medications, when there’s an immune cause for pancytopenia.
References
Germing, U., Kobbe, G., Haas, R., & Gattermann, N. (2013). Myelodysplastic syndromes: diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, 110(46), 783.
Narayanan, S. (2017). Clinical, hematological, and cytogenetic profile of adult myelodysplastic syndrome in a tertiary care center. Journal of blood medicine, 8, 21.
Borjas-Gutiérrez, C., Domínguez-Cruz, M. D., & González-García, J. R. (2017). Cytogenetics of myelodysplastic syndromes and its impact as prognostic factor. Revista Médica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 55(4), 481-489.
Germing, U., Schroeder, T., Kaivers, J., Kündgen, A., Kobbe, G., & Gattermann, N. (2019). Novel therapies in low-and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. Expert review of hematology, 12(10), 893-908.
Fuchs, O. (2019). Recent Developments in Myelodysplastic Syndromes.