Can Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Be Found Early?
Screening is testing to try to find a disease such as cancer early, in people who don’t have any symptoms of it yet. At this time, there are no widely recommended screening tests for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
MDS is often found when a person sees a doctor because of signs or symptoms they are having, such as feeling very tired, getting infections, or bruising or bleeding easily.
But sometimes MDS is found early, before it even causes symptoms, when a person has an abnormal result on a blood test that was done as part of a routine exam or for some other health reason.
MDS that’s found early does not always need to be treated right away, but it does need to be watched closely for signs that it's progressing.
For people at increased risk of MDS
For some people who have known risk factors for MDS, such as an inherited syndrome or having received certain chemotherapy drugs, doctors might recommend close monitoring with blood tests or other exams or tests to look for possible early signs of MDS.
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Aster JC, Stone RM. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and classification of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). UpToDate. 2024. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/clinical-manifestations-diagnosis-and-classification-of-myelodysplastic-syndromes-mds on July 1, 2024.
National Cancer Institute. Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version. 2022. Accessed at https://www.cancer.gov/types/myeloproliferative/hp/myelodysplastic-treatment-pdq on July 1, 2024.
Steensma DP, Stone RM. Chapter 96: Myelodysplastic syndromes. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier; 2020.
Last Revised: November 21, 2024
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