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Treatment Algorithm of Myelodysplastic Syndromes

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Pathogenesis and Treatment of Leukemia

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Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are a diverse group of myeloid neoplasms that result in ineffective hematopoiesis, various degrees of bone marrow dysplasia, peripheral cytopenias, and an increased risk of progressing to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MDS is driven by structural chromosomal changes and somatic mutations in neoplastic myeloid cells, which are supported by an inflammatory bone marrow microenvironment.

Higher-risk MDS (HR-MDS) patients are given more invasive treatments to alter the course of the disease and prevent disease progression, while supportive care such as regular red blood cell transfusions or erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) is the main strategy to enhance the quality of life and anemia symptoms for lower-risk MDS (LR-MDS) patients. However, existing MDS treatments are not curative, and many patients experience relapse or resistance to first-line treatment. Apart from participating in a clinical trial, there are typically no additional treatment options available. Therefore, there is an unmet need for new, more effective, and tolerable MDS management strategies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Cellular Therapy and Hemostaseology, Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany

    Anne Sophie Kubasch & Uwe Platzbecker

  2. German MDS Study Group (D-MDS), Leipzig, Germany

    Anne Sophie Kubasch & Uwe Platzbecker

  3. The European Myelodysplastic Syndromes Cooperative Group (EMSCO), Leipzig, Germany

    Anne Sophie Kubasch & Uwe Platzbecker

Authors
  1. Anne Sophie Kubasch
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  2. Uwe Platzbecker
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Correspondence to Uwe Platzbecker .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hongkong, Hong Kong

    Harinder Gill

  2. Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hongkong, Hong Kong

    Yok-Lam Kwong

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Kubasch, A.S., Platzbecker, U. (2023). Treatment Algorithm of Myelodysplastic Syndromes. In: Gill, H., Kwong, YL. (eds) Pathogenesis and Treatment of Leukemia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3810-0_31

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3810-0_31

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