Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of disorders that occur when the blood-forming cells in bone marrow become dysplastic, or abnormal. An overproduction of immature blood cells leads to an increased risk of infection and cytopenia. Depending on what and how many blood cell types are affected determines each classification of MDS. MDS is considered a type of cancer, given its alternative term preleukemia. Approximately 30% of MDS patients eventually progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) which is diagnosed by an increase in blast count greater than or equal to 20% of total nucleated cells in the bone marrow. While there are differences in biology and maturation between MDS and AML cells, we know that these two diseases are genetically related due to next generation sequencing technology. There is now a need for definite prognostic and curative systems for a better ability to predict survival and leukemic progression in MDS patients. The following discussions provide statistics and studies that supply emerging research in the race to discover new therapeutic alternatives that will improve the clinical outcomes for these patients.

Kailey would like to thank their faculty sponsor Kathy Kienstra for their support of this project.