Myelodysplasia (MDS) is the name for a group of disorders affecting the bone marrow. It is true that MDS can sometimes develop into leukaemia. But, the risk of this happening is not the same for everyone with MDS.
Doctors divide MDS into three risk groups based on information from a person's blood cell levels (blood counts) and bone marrow results:
- Low-risk the bone marrow is only slightly affected and the disease develops quite slowly
- Intermediate risk the disease is slightly more advanced
- High-risk the bone marrow is more widely affected and the disease can progress more quickly.
People with low risk MDS often have stable disease. They may not have any changes in the disease over many years. People with high risk MDS have more unstable disease. Unfortunately high risk MDS is more likely to develop into an acute leukaemia in a short time.
Your doctor will be able to tell you what the risk is of the type of MDS you have turning into a leukaemia.