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Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (neoplasms) are a group of diseases in which the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells.
Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases have features of both myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms.
In myelodysplastic diseases, the blood stem cells do not mature into healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. The immature blood cells do not work as they should and die in the bone marrow or soon after they enter the blood. As a result, there are fewer healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
In myeloproliferative diseases, a greater than normal number of blood stem cells become one or more types of blood cells, and the total number of blood cells slowly increases.
Learn about myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases, and find information on how we support and care for people with these diseases before, during, and after treatment.
The information below is from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
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Research for MDSDavid Steensma, MD, leads clinical care for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) at Dana-Farber. Watch as he discusses basic, clinical, and population science studies underway at Dana-Farber that aim to develop more effective therapies and improve quality of life for patients with MDS.
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