What is Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)?

Your bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue inside your bones where blood cells are produced. Your bone marrow contains immature, blood-forming stem cells that eventually develop into mature red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), your bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells. Instead, your blood-forming stem cells develop into immature cells called blasts. These blasts do not function properly and eventually die in your bone marrow and bloodstream, crowding out your healthy blood cells and leaving less room for them to form. This can cause conditions like anemia (low red blood cells), leukopenia (low white blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low platelets). There are about 10,000 to 15,000 new diagnoses of myelodysplastic syndrome each year, with almost all cases occurring in people over the age of 60. About 10% to 20% of all patients with MDS eventually develop Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).