[Sarah.P]

I need some help and I can't seem to find the info online so I'm hoping maybe some of you here can help me.

About 6 months ago my dad was diagnosed with MDS. They told him about 5 months ago that it's MDS RAEB-I with excess sideroblasts (sp?) and that he is very high risk. They gave him about 2 years IF the chemo works but if the chemo doesn't work then as soon as it turns into AML he will only have up to 6 months. This is what the Dr. told me while trying to explain what was going on with my dad. They started chemo right away. He's been doing 5 days on every fourth week. I'm not positive what the chemo drug is though. I'm sure you've all figured out already he was extremely anemic when he started the treatments and he was having a transfusion at least twice a month. After the second month of chemo his anemia started getting better and he started having more energy which was wonderful! By the end of his third treatment he wasn't anemic anymore but his WBC were still very low. At the end of the third month of chemo he was given this shot once a day to help increase his WBC and it worked wonderfully for a month. Last month his WBC was low again.

Here's where the confusion comes in. His last marrow biopsy before he started chemo his red, white and platelets were extremely low and he had excess sideroblasts (sp?). He just had his four month biopsy and was given the results last week. The Dr. didn't say what our next course of action is and since I'm not there when he sees the Dr. I can't really ask questions at the appointment. The results of his biopsy last week stated that his red, white and platelets were very low again but now he has almost no sideroblasts. They made scheduled treatment for his anemia and said nothing about the results. All they did was set up his next round of chemo.

My question is: Are the results for the biopsy good, bad or insignificant? Is it good or bad that he went from one extreme to the other with the sideroblasts?

It's so hard to find any good info on MDS just making it so much harder and more stressful being so far away when he needs me the most. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!!!