Treatment

Management of myelodysplastic syndromes is most often intended to slow the disease, ease symptoms and prevent complications. There's no cure for myelodysplastic syndromes, but some medications can help slow the progression of the disease.

If you have no symptoms, treatment might not be needed right away. Instead, your doctor might recommend regular exams and lab tests to monitor your condition and to see if the disease progresses.

Research on myelodysplastic syndromes is ongoing. Ask your doctor about clinical trials for which you might be eligible.

Blood transfusions

Blood transfusions with healthy blood cells from donors can be used to replace red blood cells and platelets in people with myelodysplastic syndromes. Blood transfusions can help control symptoms.

Medications

Treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes might include medications that:

• Increase the number of blood cells your body makes. Called growth factors, these medications are artificial versions of substances found naturally in your bone marrow. Growth factors that stimulate your bone marrow to make more red blood cells can help reduce your need for frequent blood transfusions. Growth factors that promote white blood cell production may reduce your risk of infection.
• Stimulate blood cells to mature. Medications that help stimulate the blood cells to mature can reduce the need for frequent blood transfusions in people who aren't helped by growth factors. Some of these drugs may also reduce the risk that the disease may progress to leukemia.
• Suppress your immune system. Medications that suppress or control your immune system are used in certain myelodysplastic syndromes to reduce your need for red blood cell transfusions.
• Help people with a certain genetic abnormality. If your myelodysplastic syndrome is associated with a gene mutation called isolated del(5q), your doctor might recommend lenalidomide (Revlimid).
• Treat infections. If your condition causes you to have infections, you'll receive treatments to control them.

Bone marrow transplant

A bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, is the only treatment option that offers the potential of a cure for myelodysplastic syndromes. But this treatment carries a high risk of serious complications and it's generally reserved for people who are healthy enough to endure it.

During a bone marrow transplant, high doses of chemotherapy drugs are used to clear out the defective blood cells from your bone marrow. Then the abnormal bone marrow stem cells are replaced with healthy, donated cells (allogeneic transplant).

In some situations, less intense chemotherapy drugs can be used to reduce the risks of bone marrow transplant for older adults and those who might not otherwise be considered for this treatment.