Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Treatment

A routine lab test may have showed something wrong with your blood cells. Or your life has been disrupted with symptoms like being tired all the time, fevers, night sweats, weight loss or severe pain. No matter how you're feeling, be assured. You have come to the right place.

At UVA Health, we have experts who focus specifically on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). These conditions vary widely but all affect the blood cells and the bone marrow — the factory that makes your body’s blood cells.

Our experts are national leaders in this field. This high level of expertise means we’ll know exactly what you're facing — and how at risk you are for developing acute leukemia in months or years.

Myelodysplastic Syndrome Treatment at UVA Health 

Our experts build lifelong relationships with their MDS and MPN patients.

Some of our patients come to us feeling well and just need to be closely watched. Others come with an urgent, life-threatening condition.

We'll get you an appointment as soon as possible, so you can take advantage of all we have to offer.

We have a designated MDS Foundation Center of Excellence, the only one in Virginia. This gives you access to:

• Tools to assess the genetic profile of your disorder, so we can tailor the best treatment plan
• Clinical trials that give you access to treatments before they become the new standard of care
• Care by experts whose published research findings are helping to advance this field of medicine

If your condition turns into a blood cancer, you'll have the latest treatment available at UVA Heath's Comprehensive Cancer Center. Learn more about our blood cancer expertise. 

Accurate Diagnosis Is Key & Our Specialty

Myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms can be difficult to diagnose. People sometimes come to us with a misdiagnosis. This can lead to serious consequences. It’s important to start chemotherapy or other treatments at the right stage of the disease.

If treatment is started too early, this can leave fewer options as the disease progresses.  

We have the expertise to rule out other conditions, like a vitamin deficiency. Or we can give you a definite diagnosis of a blood disorder or cancer. This often means taking a close look at a tiny sample (biopsy) of your bone marrow.

The Benefits of Diagnostic Specialists

Getting a specialist to diagnose you makes a difference. Our experts do bone marrow biopsies on a regular basis. For our patients, this means:

• Less pain 
• A fast 10-minute procedure
• No repeat biopsies, because we know how to get the best sample the first time
• Results in days, not weeks, as we analyze all bone marrow biopsies onsite

Also, a hematopathologist will review your biopsy. This kind of specialist only looks at blood and bone marrow disorders.

What Are Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Disorders?  

Sometimes called preleukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes include different types of blood cancers that happen when immature (stem) blood cells in the bone marrow do not form into healthy blood cells.

On the other hand, with myeloproliferative neoplasms, your bone marrow makes too many blood cells. Not all of these disorders are blood cancers. Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) has features of both.

6 Types of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

• Chronic myelogenous leukemia
• Polycythemia vera
• Primary myelofibrosis (also called chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis)
• Essential thrombocythemia
• Chronic neutrophilic leukemia
• Chronic eosinophilic leukemia

These conditions are more common among men over age 60. We don't usually know the cause. But your risk increases with:

• Past treatment with chemotherapy or radiation for cancer
• Exposure to certain chemicals, including tobacco smoke, pesticides, fertilizers, and solvents such as benzene
• Exposure to heavy metals, such as mercury or lead