Treatment for MDS depends on the specific type, severity, and the patient’s overall health. Options include:
- Supportive Care: Managing symptoms with blood transfusions, growth factors (such as erythropoietin), and antibiotics for infections.
- Medications: Drugs like azacitidine, decitabine, and lenalidomide that help the bone marrow produce more healthy blood cells.
- Stem Cell Transplant: Replacing diseased bone marrow with healthy marrow from a donor, which is the only potential cure but is suitable only for certain patients.
- Chemotherapy: Using drugs to kill abnormal cells and control disease progression, often used in cases that progress to AML.