[DanL]

SLB,

Welcome. As you are discovering, there are a lot of questions to be asked when you are first finding out about MDS. There are many better qualified individuals on the forums who will most likely chime in, but I thought I would get you started.

The easy one is that blast percentage in the blood does not directly correlate to the blast percentage in the marrow. It is possible to see a correlation, but a bone marrow biopsy is the only accurate way to get an understanding of the blast count in the marrow.

Blast progression is not a formula as best I know. There are some people whose numbers creep up slowly, others quickly, and many times this is erratic and dependent on the person. Also, since a bone marrow biopsy is only taking a look at one section of marrow, it is possible to see different results from different biopsies, especially early in the disease.

If the doctor was having problems getting a good sample, it is possible that you have hypoplastic mds or a high degree of marrow fibrosis. How are your other blood counts?

Make sure you ask your doctor every question that you have. Also, if you have not already done so, make sure to set up an appointment with a doctor at an MDS Center of Excellence. MDS has a bunch of different categorizations, and you may benefit from the additional expertise.

Dan