In situ hybridization probes - Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) refers to a heterogeneous group of cancers in which immature blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature and therefore do not become healthy blood cells.
There are several different types of MDS, based on how many types of blood cells are affected and other factors. The WHO system recognizes 6 main types of MDS:
- MDS with multilineage dysplasia (MDS-MLD)
- MDS with single lineage dysplasia (MDS-SLD)
- MDS with ring sideroblasts (MDS-RS)
- MDS with excess blasts (MDS-EB)
- MDS with isolated del(5q)
- MDS, unclassifiable (MDS-U)
MDS are rare and commonly found in the aging population. People at higher risk are over 60, hav had chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or have been exposed to certain chemicals.
Treatment for MDS usually focuses on reducing or preventing complicaons of the disease. Treatment options include transfusions, drug therapy, chemotherapy and blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant.
