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Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Diseases |
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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 stem cells (immature cells) that become mature blood cells. There are 3 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. Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases have features of both myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders. In myelodysplastic diseases, the 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 stem cells develop into one or more types of blood cells and the total number of blood cells slowly increases. 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. Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases may progress to acute leukemia.
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