Hello jnwink. I'm glad you found our site but sorry that MDS is a reality for you.
The results of your previous or upcoming bone marrow biopsy should let you and your doctor identify the characteristics of your MDS and classify it according to the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) or one of the older classification systems (FAB or WHO). These classifications are based on which blood lines are deficient (red cells, white cells, platelets), the microscopic appearance of your cells ("morphology"), the percentage of immature cells (called "blasts"), and the types of chromosomal abnormalities found.
That, along with other factors such as your age and overall health will let you assess the state of the disease and decide with your doctor on the best course of treatment. All that should happen before trying to interpret survival statistics. Keep in mind also that statistics are only averages, so they don't predict the future for individual patients, and that they are based on data collected over previous years, so they don't reflect the latest treatments and medical care. As you heard, new drugs are giving patients additional ways to fight back against MDS.
I suggest that you contact the
Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation (AA&MDSIF) and get their free MDS information packet.
Depending on where you live, I also suggest that you look for a treatment center that has experience with MDS, if you aren't already at one. MDS is a rare disease and is best treated by specialists.