The MDS Beacon™

Ellen O’Neill, a native of Bray on the eastern coast of Ireland, works in home help in addition to caring for her elderly father.

However, she herself became the patient in May 2005 when she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) at the age of 50.

That May, O’Neill began having hot flashes, flu-like symptoms, and fatigue.  She attributed the symptoms to menopause and went to see her doctor in October 2005 for blood tests and to discuss starting hormone replacement therapy.

About a week later, her doctor called her…

Researchers from Spain have found that transfusion intensity may be more closely associated with poorer prognosis in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients than the total number of red blood cell transfusions.

“Our results show that 60 percent of the association strength between transfusion burden and acute leukemia-free survival is mediated by transfusion intensity,” wrote Dr. Arturo Pereira from Hospital Clinic in Barcelona in an email to The MDS Beacon. 

Dr. Pereira presented the findings at the 15^th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Barcelona, Spain, last month.

Transfusion intensity…

After analyzing patients diagnosed with early myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), Czech researchers from the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion have concluded that dependence on red blood cell transfusions has a significantly negative impact on the length of overall survival.

Eighty to 90 percent of MDS patients receive transfusions to treat symptoms of anemia, which is a decrease in the number of red blood cells. Symptoms commonly include chronic tiredness or fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and chilled sensations.

Transfusions help anemic patients by supplementing the insufficient levels of red…