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Treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is individualized for each patient taking into consideration factors such as the severity of the low blood counts, the risk of progression to AML, other potential complications, and the patients age and overall health. The goals of treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes include:

• Prevent and/or treat complications of MDS
• Attempt to cure MDS, if possible
• Maintain the highest possible quality of life
• Prolong survival

The treatment decisions for myelodysplastic syndromes are based upon the age of the patient as well as clinical test results and the patient's prognosis as determined by the IPPS score. There are three main treatment choices for the health care provider to consider:

• One approach involves providing only supportive treatment to control symptoms such as anemia and neutropenia and is not a curative treatment.

• Another approach is to encourage normal hematopoiesis (the process of formation and development of the various types of blood cells) and improve myelodysplastic hematopoiesis.

• The third approach is to eradicate the myelodysplastic clone to restore normal hematopoiesis.