Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) involves abnormal production of blood cells in your bone marrow. MDS is not just one single disease. It is a group of diseases that affect how blood cells are made. In all subtypes of MDS, a chronic bone marrow problem leads to low levels of blood cells moving around in your bloodstream.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center experts offer comprehensive care for MDS, including advanced treatments. Many MDS patients join clinical trials, which are led by world-renowned physicians from Fred Hutch and UW Medicine, so they can get promising therapies that are not available anywhere else.
Fred Hutch is recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Myelodysplastic Syndromes Foundation for the diagnosis and treatment of MDS. Our experts are also leaders in research who focus on studying these diseases.
From the first time you come to see us, your MDS team will begin getting to know you and your family. What are your questions? What are your concerns?
At your first appointment, your medical oncologist will also explain your disease. They will tell you how it’s treated and which tests you need to help plan your individual care. Before you leave, your team makes sure you understand the next steps.
The safest, most effective and most widely accepted therapies for cancer are known as the “standard of care.” For many patients, these therapies will be a large part of their treatment. At Fred Hutch, we provide all standard therapies for MDS. We know how to choose the right ones for you and how to deliver them to give you the best chance at a full recovery.
Our physicians and researchers are always asking how we can make MDS treatments more effective and reduce side effects as much as possible. This is why we do clinical trials (also called clinical studies). Through these studies, we are able to offer you therapies that aren’t offered everywhere. A therapy that is going through trials today may become the new standard of care tomorrow.
Along with treating your illness, a group of world-class professionals is here to support you. This team includes nurses, registered dietitians, physical therapists, social workers and psychologists. We also include supportive care services for your physical, mental and emotional well-being.
You are unique, and your care team will design a treatment plan specifically for — and with — you.
At Fred Hutch, physicians with knowledge and experience in MDS will plan and provide your care. Our experts offer comprehensive care for MDS, including advanced treatments and new options that are only available through clinical studies.
For some patients, watchful waiting might be the first step. Other patients might start with supportive care, including medicines and transfusions. Options like chemotherapy or a blood or marrow transplant might be recommended, too. We combine treatments to fit your case.
As you go through treatment, your needs may change. Your care team at Fred Hutch is with you each step of the way. For example, we will help you cope with any side effects you may have. We may suggest adding a new therapy that was just approved. Even after your MDS treatment is done, we will keep seeing you to protect your health over the long term.
When someone close to you is diagnosed with MDS, you might step into the role of caregiver. Being a caregiver can mean many things, from lending a hand with daily living tasks to helping with medical decisions. It can also mean dealing with your own emotions and stress.
At Fred Hutch, caregivers are valuable members of a patient’s care team. We see every day that your presence and your support make a difference. We know that what your friend or family member is going through affects you, too.
Part of our mission is to help you take care of yourself. Caring for yourself is good for your physical, mental and emotional health. It also helps you give your best to your loved one. Our social workers, Spiritual Health team and Patient and Family Resource Center staff are here to help support you.
At Fred Hutch, a team of dedicated people surrounds you and your family to give you the highest level of care and support. You are the most important person on your care team. Our patients are at the center of everything we do.
Fred Hutch is a national leader in MDS research. Our scientists and physicians are working all the time to improve current treatments for MDS and develop new ones so every person with this disease lives a long, healthy life.
If your physicians decide that there is a genetic part of your disease, our experts offer personalized care to test your family members who might have the same genetic risks, monitor their health and reduce their risk. This unique approach, which focuses directly on hematologic malignancies, is found only at Fred Hutch.
There are many resources for learning about your disease, as well as organizations that provide support. Health educators at the Fred Hutch Patient and Family Resource Center have put together a list of trusted sources to help you get started.
