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I am sorry about the diagnosis, but am glad to hear that you were identified as lower-risk. There are a lot of treatments for MDS at the various stages, but a lot of it depends on symptoms, progression, and details of the biopsy, such as chromosome changes, gene alterations, etc.
Treatment varies from do nothing (referred to as watch and wait), to supportive treatments like blood transfusions, epoietin alfa, neupogen, or thrombopoeitin, to MDS approved treatments like Revlimid, Vidaza, and Dacogen, all the way to full blown chemotherapy with the potential for stem-cell transplant.
The tendency is to treat symptoms first to improve quality of life, then treat the disease to try to slow the progression once needed, and with MDS, although there are similarities, every patient is unique, and treatment plans are personalized.
As for your question about Revlimid, it is most effective in low-risk MDS, especially people with the deletion of the 5q chromosome, although it can be effective in some patients with normal chromosomes.
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MDS RCMD w/grade 2-3 fibrosis. Allo-MUD Feb 26, 2014. Relapsed August 2014. Free and clear of MDS since November 2014 after treatment with Vidaza and Rituxan. Experiencing autoimmune attack on CNS thought to be GVHD, some gut, skin and ocular cGVHD. Neuropathy over 80% of body.
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