Managing and Treating MDS-related Anemia
Treating MDS-related anemia
Treating MDS-related anemia
The main treatments for MDS
Supportive care for MDS
Blood transfusions for MDS-related anemia
More about blood transfusions
More about blood transfusions
What is transfusion-dependent anemia?
What is transfusion-independent anemia?
Understanding your blood test results with MDS-related anemia
Medicines to increase red blood cell production
Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) and G-CSF
Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) and G-CSF
Other medicines for MDS
Other medicines for MDS
Chemotherapy for AML
Future treatment: Helping red blood cells mature
Future treatments: Raising levels of blood-cell-stimulating hormones
Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant
Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant
Is BMT an option for you?
Your outlook with MDS-related anemia
Managing and Treating MDS-related Anemia

*Please note: This slide show represents a visual interpretation and is not intended to provide, nor substitute as, medical and/or clinical advice.

Treating MDS-related anemia

Treatment for MDS-related anemia depends on what type of MDS you have, your general health, your age, and what you want for the future.

Treating MDS-related anemia

It also depends on whether the MDS has a low, medium or high risk of becoming acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. About 30 percent of people with MDS develop this life-threatening blood cancer.

The main treatments for MDS

The main treatments for MDS are designed to reduce your symptoms, slow down or prevent the development of AML, and help you live longer.

A bone marrow, or stem cell, transplant is the only curative treatment for MDS.

Supportive care for MDS

Supportive care will be a major part of your treatment. This is the medical term for care that relieves symptoms, treats complications, or problems, and helps your body make more blood cells to replace abnormal ones.

Blood transfusions for MDS-related anemia

Supportive care for MDS-related anemia often includes receiving blood from a healthy donor in a procedure called a blood transfusion.

The donated blood raises the number of red cells in your blood. It also raises the level of a protein called hemoglobin in these cells.

Hemoglobin carries oxygen, so raising it can relieve anemia symptoms such as feeling very tired or short of breath.

More about blood transfusions

However, transfusions do not work well for everyone. Frequent transfusions can cause a condition called iron overload. Extra iron can build up in your body from the transfused red blood cells. Too much iron can harm your heart, liver, and a digestive organ called the pancreas.

More about blood transfusions

Your doctor will check your level of ferritin, or stored iron, regularly. If too much iron builds up, you might need a treatment called chelation to remove the extra iron.

What is transfusion-dependent anemia?

A single transfusion will only increase your red blood cell count for a short while. Transfusions are often required every few weeks.

If you need transfusions more and more often to keep enough red cells in your bloodstream, you might have a condition called transfusion-dependent anemia.

What is transfusion-independent anemia?

If you do not need transfusions very often or at all, your anemia might be transfusion-independent. You might still have a low red cell count but you do not need frequent transfusions to avoid severe anemia.

Understanding your blood test results with MDS-related anemia

You will have your blood counts checked often, including after transfusions.

Reading your blood test results can be confusing. The letters R-B-C stand for red blood cells. This line shows your total red blood cell count.

H-G-B stands for hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.

And H-C-T stands for hematocrit, the percentage of red cells in your blood.

Medicines to increase red blood cell production

Transfusions are not always the first treatment you receive. Your doctor might prescribe medicines that help the bone marrow make more red blood cells.

These medicines are called erythropoiesis stimulating agents, or ESAs. Your doctor might prescribe these medicines as soon as you learn you have MDS, or later if your anemia gets worse over time.

Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) and G-CSF

ESAs are given as a shot. Two ESAs are currently approved in the United States: Epoetin alfa and darbepoetin.

Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) and G-CSF

Doctors can add a medicine called G-CSF if ESAs do not work well alone. G-CSF helps the bone marrow make more immature blood cells called progenitors, which can turn into red blood cells.

Some patients might take a medicine called lenalidomide at the same time. Ask your doctor about all your medication options.

Other medicines for MDS

Other medicines include romiplostim and eltrombopag. They are not yet officially approved to treat MDS, but have been studied and can be used.

These drugs help your bone marrow make more platelets, the cells that help blood clot, so you may take them if you have MDS.

Other medicines for MDS

The medicines azacitidine and decitabine turn on genes that have stopped working normally, allowing your own body to fight MDS. They are given as an injection under the skin or into a vein, every month for 5 to 7 days in a row.

Chemotherapy for AML

Cytarabine is one chemotherapy drug used to treat AML, the life-threatening blood cancer that MDS can turn into. Other chemotherapy drugs include daunorubicin, venetoclax and glasdegib.

Future treatment: Helping red blood cells mature

Researchers are developing new MDS medicines in clinical trials.

A medicine called luspatercept can help red blood cells mature in greater numbers, as they do in someone without MDS. This medicine is not yet approved for the public.

Future treatments: Raising levels of blood-cell-stimulating hormones

A medicine called roxadustat helps your body make more of its own erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production.

Roxadustat is approved for use in China and may soon be available elsewhere.

Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant

Bone marrow transplant, or BMT, is a treatment that gives you healthy blood stem cells that destroy and replace your abnormal bone marrow. Another name for it is stem cell transplant.

Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant

This is the only treatment that can cure MDS, although it does not work for everyone. It is too risky for some patients, because it can cause life-threatening complications.

Is BMT an option for you?

Your doctor will tell you if BMT is an option. Your heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys should be healthy, and you should be able to do daily activities independently. BMT is often considered for people with high risk disease.

You can have BMT up to 75 years of age or possibly older if you are healthy enough. People without certain gene mutations tend to do better after BMT.

Your outlook with MDS-related anemia

Staying in close touch with your doctor can help you get the best treatment and live longer with fewer symptoms.

Tell your doctor about any new symptoms or concerns, follow your treatment plan, and ask what else is available if your current treatment is not working as well as you would like.

New treatments are being developed to help people live longer, better lives with MDS.

Slide Show - Managing and Treating MDS-related Anemia

This slide show explains the current management and treatment approaches for MDS-related anemia. It provides an overview of blood transfusions, medicines to increase red blood cell production, chemotherapy, future treatments, and bone marrow (stem cell) transplant. Treatment for MDS-related anemia depends on several factors including what type of MDS you have, your general health, your age, your risk score, and what you want for the future.

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Animation - Managing and Treating MDS-related Anemia
Animation - Managing and Treating MDS-related Anemia
Slide Show - Managing and Treating MDS-related Anemia
Slide Show - Managing and Treating MDS-related Anemia
Expert Videos
What are the treatment options for MDS-related anemia?
1. What are the treatment options for MDS-related anemia?
What are the goals of treatment for MDS-related anemia?
2. What are the goals of treatment for MDS-related anemia?
How is higher-risk MDS-related anemia treated?
3. How is higher-risk MDS-related anemia treated?
What is “refractory anemia” and “primary anemia”? Are these terms still in use?
4. What is “refractory anemia” and “primary anemia”? Are these terms still in use?
When do people with MDS-related anemia need blood transfusions?
5. When do people with MDS-related anemia need blood transfusions?
How often could I need a blood transfusion for MDS-related anemia?
6. How often could I need a blood transfusion for MDS-related anemia?
Are blood transfusions safe? Are there risks?
7. Are blood transfusions safe? Are there risks?
What is iron overload, and how it is treated?
8. What is iron overload, and how it is treated?
Can my bone marrow return to normal and produce its own red blood cells?
9. Can my bone marrow return to normal and produce its own red blood cells?
What new treatments are in development for MDS-related anemia?
10. What new treatments are in development for MDS-related anemia?
Are there clinical trials for MDS-related anemia? What does the future hold?
11. Are there clinical trials for MDS-related anemia? What does the future hold?
What treatment questions should I ask my doctor about my MDS?
12. What treatment questions should I ask my doctor about my MDS?
When is a blood and marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) used for MDS-related anemia?
13. When is a blood and marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) used for MDS-related anemia?
Patient Videos
Abby’s story: What has been the biggest challenge with your MDS-related anemia?
14. Abby’s story: What has been the biggest challenge with your MDS-related anemia?
Barry’s story: What has been the biggest challenge with your MDS-related anemia?
15. Barry’s story: What has been the biggest challenge with your MDS-related anemia?
Bill’s story: What has been the biggest challenge with your MDS-related anemia?
16. Bill’s story: What has been the biggest challenge with your MDS-related anemia?
Abby’s story: What has been the greatest success and greatest challenge with your MDS-related Anemia treatment?
17. Abby’s story: What has been the greatest success and greatest challenge with your MDS-related Anemia treatment?
Barry’s story: What has been the greatest success and greatest challenge with your MDS-related Anemia treatment?
18. Barry’s story: What has been the greatest success and greatest challenge with your MDS-related Anemia treatment?
Bill’s story: What has been the greatest success and greatest challenge with your MDS-related Anemia treatment?
19. Bill’s story: What has been the greatest success and greatest challenge with your MDS-related Anemia treatment?
Abby’s story: What advice do you have for other patients on their journey with MDS-related anemia?
20. Abby’s story: What advice do you have for other patients on their journey with MDS-related anemia?
Barry’s story: What advice do you have for other patients on their journey with MDS-related anemia?
21. Barry’s story: What advice do you have for other patients on their journey with MDS-related anemia?
Bill’s story: What advice do you have for other patients on their journey with MDS-related anemia?
22. Bill’s story: What advice do you have for other patients on their journey with MDS-related anemia?
 

This educational activity has been developed by the Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation, Inc. and Mechanisms in Medicine Inc.

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Acceleron Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and Takeda Oncology.

This website is part of the Animated Patient™ series developed by Mechanisms in Medicine Inc., to provide highly visual formats of learning for patients to improve their understanding, make informed decisions, and partner with their healthcare professionals for optimal outcomes.