title: When to treat myelodysplastic syndromes.
abstract: The myelodysplastic syndromes represent a heterogeneous series of clonal hematologic neoplasms characterized by morphologic dysplasia, aberrant hematopoiesis and a variable risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. These syndromes have a complex pathobiology, and ineffective hematopoiesis is a well-recognized feature of all of them. Normal blood cell maturation, differentiation, function, and survival are impaired, and these abnormalities contribute to the development of peripheral blood pancytopenia. The majority of patients succumb to complications of either bone marrow failure or leukemic progression. The fact that the majority of patients are elderly and have other comorbidities complicates therapeutic decision making and necessitates the development of individualized treatment strategies.
authors: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-7680, USA. mojtaba.akhtari@unmc.edu
authors: Mojtaba
authors: M
authors: Akhtari
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous