Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- 1 Clinical and prognostic characterization of myelodysplastic syndromes
- 2 Morphologic classifications of myelodysplastic syndromes: French–American–British (FAB) and World Health Organization (WHO)
- 3 Pathogenetic mechanisms underlying myelodysplastic syndromes
- 4 Cytogenetic abnormalities in myelodysplastic syndromes
- 5 Molecular mechanisms and gene expression patterns in myelodysplastic syndromes
- 6 Immunologic mechanisms and treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes
- 7 Biologically targeted therapies for myelodysplastic syndromes
- 8 Supportive care in myelodysplastic syndromes: hemopoietic cytokine and iron chelation therapy
- 9 Hematopoietic cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes
- 10 Health-related quality of life for those with myelodysplastic syndrome: conceptualization, measurement, and implications for research and practice
- Index
- Plate section
Preface
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- 1 Clinical and prognostic characterization of myelodysplastic syndromes
- 2 Morphologic classifications of myelodysplastic syndromes: French–American–British (FAB) and World Health Organization (WHO)
- 3 Pathogenetic mechanisms underlying myelodysplastic syndromes
- 4 Cytogenetic abnormalities in myelodysplastic syndromes
- 5 Molecular mechanisms and gene expression patterns in myelodysplastic syndromes
- 6 Immunologic mechanisms and treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes
- 7 Biologically targeted therapies for myelodysplastic syndromes
- 8 Supportive care in myelodysplastic syndromes: hemopoietic cytokine and iron chelation therapy
- 9 Hematopoietic cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes
- 10 Health-related quality of life for those with myelodysplastic syndrome: conceptualization, measurement, and implications for research and practice
- Index
- Plate section
Summary
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a particularly problematic disease. This myeloid clonal hemopathy is heterogeneous, with varying stages having differing clinical problems that require specific yet disparate therapeutic approaches. Major morbidity relates to the patients' symptomatic cytopenias and their potential for progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The patients' generally elderly ages complicate management of the illness due to attendant comorbidities. Beyond standard supportive care with transfusions, virtually all treatments for MDS are currently experimental. This combination of characteristics has contributed to the difficulty in determining appropriate therapy for MDS patients. Fundamental to improving the care for these individuals is a more thorough clinical characterization and basic understanding of mechanisms causing the marrow hemopoietic dysfunction central to this disorder.
Given these features and the increasing incidence of MDS as our populations age, this book is quite germane in providing a comprehensive state-of-the-art update of the current status and recent advances in the field. It describes major treatises by an international group of MDS experts on the clinical classification, underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, and biologically targeted treatments of the disease. Each of the book's 10 chapters provides critical insights into specific topics, demonstrating interconnections between subjects.
Chapter 1 reviews the current clinical and prognostic categorizations of MDS, describing the complexity of establishing disease diagnosis and the critical clinical and biological features used to categorize MDS prognostically so that effective management strategies may be undertaken.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Myelodysplastic SyndromesClinical and Biological Advances, pp. xi - xivPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005