[Prognosis and Therapy of Myelodysplastic Syndrome]

Prognosis and Therapy of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Abstract. The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represent a heterogeneous group of diseases affecting the hematopoietic stem cells, which are characterized by reduced blood cells (cytopenia), maturation disorders (dysplasia) and an increased risk of transformation into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For adequate treatment, disease and patient-related factors must be taken into account and the therapies are very different for lower- and higher-risk diseases, respectively. In the case of lower-risk diseases, the focus is on improving cytopenias and quality of life, while in the case of higher-risk diseases the prolongation of survival with a delay of transformation to AML. Only a small proportion of higher-risk MDS patients qualify for the only potentially curative treatment of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This review article summarizes the most important aspects of prognosis and therapy in MDS patients for the practicing physician.