Myelodysplasia is caused by damage to the stem cells of the cell line[s] affected. The stem cells are the parent cells of the cells that are eventually released into the blood.

Patients treated for cancers with high dose radiation have a higher incidence of therapy-related Myelodysplastic Syndromes [MDs]. Alkylating agents used in chemotherapy are known to induce [MDs]. There are other causes, too, but these are two causes that are important to the LMS list.

If the red blood cell line is affected, the patient becomes anemic, and requires transfusions. Eventually there is an iron build up in the body, called hemosiderosis, which can cause further problems to liver, heart, and other organs. If the white blood cell line is affected, the patient is more prone to get seriously ill with infections. Sometimes some of the white cell line transforms to leukemia. If the platelet cell line is affected, the patient is prone to hemorrhage, and internal bleeding.

The progress of Myelodysplasia depends upon which cell lines are affected and how badly, and whether leukemia develops. The incidence of Myelodysplasia Syndromes will be high in treated LMS survivors, because of the many courses of high dose chemotherapy and radiation treatment that were necessary. Because cancer treatment kills cells that are dividing quickly...cancer treatment often kills many normal bone marrow cells. Protective medicines like mesna, amifostine, and dexrazoxane may prevent some of the damage done to normal tissues by chemotherapy. Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are administered after chemotherapy to rescue the bone marrow and stimulate bone marrow recovery; use of these agents has facilitated the intensification of chemotherapy and has significantly lessened the damage from chemotherapy to normal cells. Both leukin and neupogen are used to increase the number of white blood cells that fight off bacteria. Leukin or neupogen are given to increase the white blood cell counts [so that the patient is less likely to get infected] and they affect different cell lines. There is no indication at this time that one is necessarily better than the other. Procrit (epoetin) is used to increase the red blood cell count.  There is also a colony stimulating factor that has been developed for the platelet line of cells. These are normally given during the first two weeks after chemo, by injection. The neupogen may cause achiness that may be helped by taking Tylenol or Panado beforehand and by administering the neupogen at room temperature.
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