The bone marrow produces abnormal cells in low quantity and unable to perform their functions. The Cínica Román – Oncology – Hematology, Top Doctors center of excellence, explains what myelodysplastic syndromes are and how they are treated.
Myelodysplastic syndromes are a heterogeneous group of diseases whose common characteristic is that the bone marrow, responsible for manufacturing blood cells, produces abnormal cells, unable to perform their usual functions and in smaller quantities than normal.
It mainly affects elderly people, with the most affected population being those over 70 years of age, and has an incidence of 4-5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The diagnosis, most of the time, is made by chance in a routine blood test, showing a decrease in one or more of the blood cells. In other words, the patient may present anemia (decrease in red blood cells or red blood cells), leukopenia (decrease in white blood cells or leukocytes), thrombopenia (decrease in platelets).
The symptoms are related to the group of cells affected and the degree of involvement; in the case of anemia, the patient may notice tiredness, shortness of breath, skin pallor and in the most severe cases, chest pain. If leukopenia is present, the symptoms are related to an increased risk of infections, since leukocytes are the ‘body’s defenses’.
In cases where there is a decrease in platelets, there is a risk of bruising or bleeding, since platelets are involved in coagulation, i.e. they are responsible for forming the ‘plug’ when there is a blow or wound and thus prevent bleeding.
The treatment of this pathology is aimed at improving the patient’s quality of life and thus avoiding the symptoms derived from the reduction of one or more of the main blood cells. The alternatives range from transfusions, both of red blood cells and platelets, and preventive antibiotics to avoid infections, such as immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive drugs, to chemotherapy treatment in cases with the worst prognosis.