Myelodysplastic Syndrome, or myelodysplasia, corresponds to a group of diseases characterized by progressive bone marrow failure, which leads to the production of defective or immature cells that appear in the bloodstream, resulting in anemia, excessive tiredness, tendency to infections and bleeding. frequent, which can lead to very serious complications.
Although it can appear at any age, this disease is more common in people over 70 years of age, and in most cases, its causes are not clarified, although in some cases it may arise as a result of treating a previous cancer with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or exposure to chemicals, such as benzene or smoke, for example.
Myelodysplasia can usually be cured with bone marrow transplantation, however, this is not possible for all patients, and it is important to seek guidance from the general practitioner or hematologist.
Main symptoms
Bone marrow is an important part of the body that produces blood cells, such as red blood cells, which are red blood cells, leukocytes, which are the white blood cells responsible for defending the body and platelets, which are fundamental for blood clotting. Therefore, your impairment produces signs and symptoms such as:
- Excessive tiredness; Paleness; Shortness of breath; Tendency to infections; Fever; Bleeding; Appearance of red spots on the body.
In the initial cases, the person may not show symptoms, and the disease ends up being discovered in routine exams. In addition, the amount and intensity of symptoms will depend on the types of blood cells most affected by myelodysplasia and also the severity of each case. About 1/3 of cases of myelodysplastic syndrome can progress to acute leukemia, which is a type of severe cancer of the blood cells. Check out more about acute myeloid leukemia.
Thus, it is not possible to determine a time of life expectancy for these patients, since the disease can evolve very slowly, for decades, as it can evolve to a severe form, with little response to treatment and cause more complications in a few months. years.
What are the causes
The cause of myelodysplastic syndrome is not very well established, however in most cases the disease has a genetic cause, but the change in DNA is not always found, and the disease is classified as primary myelodysplasia. Although it may have a genetic cause, the disease is not hereditary.
Myelodysplastic syndrome can also be classified as secondary when it arises as a result of other situations, such as intoxications caused by chemicals, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, benzene, pesticides, tobacco, lead or mercury, for example.
How to confirm
To confirm the diagnosis of myelodysplasia, the hematologist will perform the clinical evaluation and order tests such as:
- CBC, which determines the amount of red blood cells, leukocytes and platelets in the blood; Myelogram, which is the bone marrow aspirate capable of evaluating the quantity and characteristics of cells in this location. Understand how the myelogram is made; Genetic and immunological tests, such as karyotype or immunophenotyping; Bone marrow biopsy, which may provide more information on bone marrow content, especially when it is severely altered or suffers from other complications, such as fibrosis infiltrations; Dosage of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid, as their deficiency can cause changes in blood production.
In this way, the hematologist will be able to detect the type of myelodysplasia, differentiate it from other bone marrow diseases and better determine the type of treatment.
How the treatment is done
The main form of treatment is bone marrow transplantation, which can lead to the cure of the disease, however, not all people are qualified for this procedure, which should be done in people who do not have diseases that limit their physical capacity and preferably under the age of 65.
Another treatment option includes chemotherapy, which is usually done with medications such as Azacitidine and Decitabine, for example, performed in cycles determined by the hematologist.
Blood transfusion may be necessary in some cases, especially when there is severe anemia or a lack of platelets that allow adequate blood clotting. Check the indications and how the blood transfusion is done.
