Is MDS a blood cancer?

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a type of rare blood cancer where you don’t have enough healthy blood cells. It’s also known as myelodysplasia. There are many different types of MDS.

How do you get MDS?

Some outside exposures can lead to MDS by damaging the DNA inside bone marrow cells. For example, tobacco smoke contains chemicals that can damage genes. Exposure to radiation or certain chemicals such as benzene or some chemotherapy drugs can also cause mutations that lead to MDS.

Does MDS run in families?

Genetics. Most often, MDS is not inherited, meaning passed from parent to child within a family. However, some genetic changes may increase a person’s risk of developing MDS. Many of these are linked with the inherited genetic conditions listed below, with the specific genes involved when identified.

Can MDS cause death?

Death from MDS is often caused by bleeding and/or infection from low blood cell counts or after the disease becomes acute myeloid leukemia (AML). About a third of patients with MDS develop AML. It is important to remember that statistics on MDS are an estimate.

What causes MDS cancer?

Some myelodysplastic syndromes have no known cause. Others are caused by exposure to cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, or to toxic chemicals, such as tobacco, benzene and pesticides, or to heavy metals, such as lead.

What is MDs Medical abbreviation?

MDS stands for “minimum data set” and it is the collection of core health data elements mandated by law by the centers for medicare and medicaid services (cms) of the united states government.

Can you die from MDS?

Death from MDS is often caused by bleeding and/or infection from low blood cell counts or after the disease becomes acute myeloid leukemia (AML). About a third of patients with MDS develop AML. It is important to remember that statistics on MDS are an estimate.

What is MDS type leukemia?

Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Leukemia is a cancer of early blood-forming cells, most frequently of the white blood cells although some leukemias begin on other blood cell types. Leukemia can be described as fast-growing (acute) or slow growing (chronic).