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Myelodysplastic Myeloproliferative Diseases Cure - Myelodysplastic
Myeloproliferative Diseases Medicine Drug
TREATMENT CENTERS - SURVIVAL RATE - DRUGS AND MEDICINE - INFORMATION
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Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases are a group of diseases
in which the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells.
Myelodysplastic /myeloproliferative diseases are diseases of the
blood and bone marrow. Normally, the bone marrow makes blood stem
cells (immature cells) that become mature blood cells over time. A
blood stem cell may become a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem
cell. The lymphoid stem cell develops into a white blood cell. The
myeloid stem cell develops into one of three types of mature blood cells:
Red blood cells that carry oxygen and other materials to all tissues
of the body.
White blood cells that fight infection and disease.
Platelets that help prevent bleeding by causing blood clots to form.
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Blood cell development. A blood stem cell goes through several steps
to become a red blood cell, platelet, or white blood cell.
Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases have features of both
myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders.
In myelodysplastic diseases, the blood stem cells do not mature into
healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. The
immature blood cells, called blasts, do not work the way 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 develop into one or more types of blood cells and the
total number of blood cells slowly increases.
This summary is about diseases that have features of both
myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative diseases. See the following
PDQ summaries for more information about related diseases:
Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment
Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders Treatment
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Treatment
There are different types of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases.
The 3 main types of myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative disease
include the following:
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML).
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML).
Atypical chronic myelogenous leukemia (aCML).
When a myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative disease does not match any
of these types, it is called myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative
disease, unclassifiable (MDS/MPD-UC).
Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases may progress to acute leukemia.
Tests that examine the blood and bone marrow are used to detect
(find) and diagnose myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases.
The following tests and procedures may be used:
Physical exam and history: An exam of the body to check general signs
of health, including checking for signs of disease such as an
enlarged spleen and liver. A history of the patients health
habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken.
Complete blood count (CBC) with differential: A procedure in which a
sample of blood is drawn and checked for the following:
The number of red blood cells and platelets.
The number and type of white blood cells.
The amount of hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen) in the red
blood cells.
The portion of the sample made up of red blood cells.
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Complete blood count (CBC). Blood is collected by inserting a needle
into a vein and allowing the blood to flow into a tube. The blood
sample is sent to the laboratory and the red blood cells, white blood
cells, and platelets are counted. The CBC is used to test for,
diagnose, and monitor many different conditions.
Blood chemistry studies: A procedure in which a blood sample is
checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released into
the blood by organs and tissues in the body. An unusual (higher or
lower than normal) amount of a substance can be a sign of disease in
the organ or tissue that produces it.
Peripheral blood smear: A procedure in which a sample of blood is
checked for the presence of blast cells, number and kinds of white
blood cells, the number of platelets, and changes in the shape of
blood cells.
Cytogenetic analysis: A test in which cells in a sample of blood or
bone marrow are viewed under a microscope to look for certain changes
in the chromosomes. The cancer cells in
myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases do not contain the
Philadelphia chromosome that is present in chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: The removal of a small piece of
bone and bone marrow by inserting a needle into the hipbone or
breastbone. A pathologist views both the bone and bone marrow samples
under a microscope to look for abnormal cells.
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Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. After a small area of skin is
numbed, a Jamshidi needle (a long, hollow needle) is inserted into
the patients hip bone. Samples of blood, bone, and bone marrow
are removed for examination under a microscope.
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