

Anemia in Focus:
The Challenge of Identifying
Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
Anemia is a hallmark of MDS, conferring heightened mortality risk and
diminished quality of life.
Anemia is a hallmark of MDS, conferring heightened mortality risk and
diminished quality of life.
Diagnose MDS
MDS should be suspected in elderly patients with isolated unexplained anemia. About 1 in 6 patients with unexplained anemia has findings compatible with MDS.
Assess risk
Prognostic scoring allows assessment of disease severity. Risk stratification is important to understand the disease trajectory and enable a tailored clinical approach.
Understand the burden
MDS-related anemia shortens patients’ lives and negatively impacts their quality of life. Chronic anemia and transfusion dependence are the main clinical challenges in lower-risk MDS.
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Diagnosing MDS requires an extensive series of tests, but it is also important to have a high clinical suspicion to identify risk factors for developing MDS, such as advancing age