The number of diagnosed MDS patients identified by the study is alarming and so are the higher incidences of other conditions among MDS patients.
According to their findings, based on data from 2003:
Code:
Within 3 years of diagnosis % Medicare patients % MDS patients
----------------------------- ------------------- --------------
heart attack 54.5% 73%
diabetes 33.1% 40%
shortness of breath (dyspnea) 28.5% 49.4%
liver disease 0.2% 0.8%
blood infection (sepsis) 6.1% 22.5%
3-year survival 84.7% 60%
However, 2003 was before MDS was routinely treated with drugs like Vidaza, Dacogen, and Revlimid. It's a reminder of just how important the development of these drugs has been to the patient population.