French researchers recently found that high levels of the iron-binding protein ferritin at diagnosis do not negatively affect survival in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes patients.

The researchers pointed out that the patients had not received any red blood cell transfusions, which can lead to high ferritin levels and excess iron in the blood. Ferritin is a protein found in the blood that is able to bind and store iron.

They explained that the naturally occurring high ferritin levels are not to…

Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) often feel fatigued – tired, worn out, weary, bushed, or “out of gas.” Many people suffering from MDS find that they just don’t have the stamina they used to have.  Minor errands that patients once didn’t give a second thought to are now completely draining.  As a result, patients may begin to avoid potentially strenuous tasks and feel that they are not able to enjoy life like they once did.

So many of my patients…

A group of Italian researchers recently found that Vidaza induced high response rates in low-risk myelodysplastic patients who were resistant to therapy with red blood cell stimulating agents. In several cases, patients maintained a response for a long period after Vidaza treatment ended.

Based on these findings, the researchers suggested that treatment discontinuation could be attempted in patients who respond to treatment. However, they also noted that it is not currently known whether Vidaza would still be effective in patients…

Myelodysplastic syndromes patients who have low levels of an iron-binding protein prior to stem cell transplantation may have longer survival after the procedure than those with high levels of the protein.

Researchers from Illinois presented these findings at the 2011 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Stem cell transplantation is a procedure in which a donor’s healthy bone marrow stem cells are used to replace a patient’s unhealthy bone marrow stem cells. Stem cell transplantation is the…

Three recently completed data analyses shed new light on Dacogen and its effectiveness as a treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes patients.

The analyses show that treatment with Dacogen is more successful in patients who are transfusion independent, and that patients who experience low blood cell counts during their Dacogen treatment live longer than patients whose blood cell counts stay closer to normal levels.

In contrast, Dacogen treatment outcomes do not appear to depend on how many immature blood cells patients have. …