Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Myelodysplastic Syndromes

A growing literature demonstrates that MDS is associated with significant impairments in overall quality of life. Given the poor prognosis for many patients with MDS, and the considerable morbidities associated with this disease, there is a critical need to address palliative and end-of-life care needs in this population. However, palliative and end-of-life care issues are under-represented in the MDS literature. In this article, we highlight a growing body of literature that demonstrates unmet palliative and end-of-life care needs in hematologic malignancies, including MDS, and highlight opportunities for further research and quality improvement initiatives to address unmet needs in MDS care.