The symptoms and treatment related to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) can have a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life and psychological well being.
The feelings people have when diagnosed with MDS vary widely. Many people feel anger and fear. Others feel relief to finally know why they have been experiencing such puzzling symptoms.
MDS does not have to be severe to affect a person’s quality of life. Mild and moderate MDS and its symptoms can have substantial effects. The fatigue, irritability, weakness and other problems that may be associated with MDS can limit an individual’s daily activities.
Also, depending on the type of MDS a person has, he or she may need to avoid things that can complicate the illness. For instance, some people with MDS need to avoid things that can cause shortness of breath, like excessive exercise or high altitudes. Other people with MDS need to avoid situations that can increase their risk of infection, like spending time in crowded places or around sick people.
In addition to the symptoms, people with MDS need to cope with a new way of life. Their normal activities are replaced with things like doctor appointments, blood tests, transfusions and other treatment-related activities. These changes can require a lot of time and be overwhelming.
Whatever the disease type and prognosis, though, there are ways of coping with the demands of MDS and improving quality of life, including counseling, self-education about the disease, and medical treatment such as transfusions and other therapies.
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EXJADE is indicated for the treatment of chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions (transfusional hemosiderosis) in patients 2 years of age and older. Further studies are being performed to determine the long-term benefits and risks of EXJADE.
Your body cannot get rid of excess iron on its own. This means you may have too much iron in your body (chronic iron overload) after multiple blood transfusions. However, there is a treatment called iron chelation, which helps to remove extra iron. EXJADE is a type of iron chelation that you can take as a drink when mixed with orange juice, apple juice, or water. EXJADE binds to the excess iron and helps get rid of the iron through the bowels.
EXJADE, the only once-daily oral iron chelation treatment available in the United States, has been proven to be effective in clinical trials of patients who have chronic iron overload as a result of blood transfusions. Unlike other treatments for iron overload, e.g. deferoxamine, EXJADE does not require you to use any pumps or infusions.
Dec. 28, 2005 -- The FDA has approved a new drug called Revlimid to treat a type of the rare blood disorder, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which can progress to become leukemia.
Revlimid treats a type of MDS involving a certain genetic abnormality. Revlimid structurally resembles another drug, thalidomide, which is known to cause severe birth defects.
Studies of animals are under way to gauge the risk of birth defects when Revlimid is taken during pregnancy. Revlimid will get a "black box" warning about preventing fetuses from being exposed to Revlimid. A black box warning is the strongest type of warning that the FDA can require for a drug. Access to Revlimid will also be carefully monitored to avoid fetal exposure.
Patients with MDS may need blood and platelet transfusions and antibiotic therapy for infections.
The FDA reports that in clinical trials, patients treated with Revlimid no longer needed transfusions. Most patients became free of transfusions by three months.
In those studies, patients taking Revlimid didn't need transfusions for an average of 44 weeks.
A study presented in May 2005 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology showed .
Revlimid's maker, Celgene Corp., is marketing Revlimid under a risk-management plan called RevAssist, which is designed to prevent fetal exposure to Revlimid.
Under the plan, only pharmacists and prescribers registered with RevAssist will prescribe and dispense Revlimid.
Other rules include:
The FDA Evaluation and Research, spoke about Revlimid in a news release. "This new product will offer a much-needed treatment option for patients suffering from this rare illness that, in some cases, has been found to progress to fatal forms of leukemia,"
Revlimid will also get black box warnings about the potential need to lower the dose because of suppressed blood counts and increased risk of blood clots.
Common side effects reported with Revlimid include low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), low count of white blood cells (neutropenia), diarrhea, itch, rash, and fatigue.
