hematology and oncology
Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
Prognosis for MDS
The prognosis of myelodysplastic syndrome depends greatly on classification and on any associated disorders. Patients with the deletion 5q syndrome, refractory anemia, or refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts are less likely to progress to the more aggressive forms. TheRevised International Prognostic Scoring System(IPSS-R) in MDS predicts the outcome of patients with MDS. The IPSS-R considers the following risk factors: Cytogenetics: Worst prognosis associated with high-risk or multiple abnormalities Percentage of bone marrow blasts: Worst prognosis associated with increasing numbers of (particularly >10%) blasts Degree of cytopenia: Worst prognosis associated with hemoglobin < 8 g/dL (< 80 g/L), platelet count < 50,000/mcL (< 50 × 109/L) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) < 800/mcL (0.8 × 109/L) Outcome is worse with an increasing number of risk factors. Patients in the highest risk group have a median overall survival of 0.8 year. Patients in the lowest risk group have a median overall survival of about 8 years. 