Myelodysplastic syndrome
From The Cure For The Needy
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Myelodysplastic syndrome
Background
From wikipedia:Myelodysplastic_syndrome
The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS, formerly known as "preleukemia") are a diverse collection of hematological conditions united by ineffective production (or dysplasia) of myeloid blood cells and risk of transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).[1] Anemia requiring chronic blood transfusion is frequently present. Astronomer Carl Sagan, writer Roald Dahl and actress Nina Foch died of this condition.
Myelodysplastic syndromes are bone marrow stem cell disorders resulting in disorderly and ineffective hematopoiesis (blood production) manifested by irreversible quantitative and qualitative defects in hematopoietic (blood-forming) cells. In a majority of cases, the course of disease is chronic with gradually worsening cytopenias due to progressive bone marrow failure. Approximately one-third of patients with MDS progress to AML within months to a few years.