MDS or AML?

[patti]

I was reading some posts from more then a year ago and read that more then 15% blasts in the marrow is diagnosed as AML. Is that correct? When mom had her bmb she had greater then 30% blasts but they said she had MDS. I guess it doesn’t really matter since the treatment is probably the same (due to her age) but I am curious.

Thanks

patti

[sarah]

Patti, I thought it was 20% blast AML.

[Terri]

Not Sure, Bobs blast have been as high as 14% in the marrow and over 20 in the blood at one point before the Vidaza, but our dr still has him as MDS

[Suzanne]

I was told 20% is now the line for AML but they treated me as being in the process of transforming when it got in the upper teans. I went all the way to 75% in the marrow before I had chemo It increased very quickly. They mentioned that I had a very low % in my blood.They never told me what that % was.

[patti]

Thanks for all of your responses. I guess maybe it’s different with every doc. Like I said, not that it really matters. I was just curious.

Terri, I just saw that your husband has gone almost 2yrs with his MDS. That gives me great hope for mom. She was dx in 8/04. Almost a year. We thought she only had about 5-6 months. We’re also doing the natural thing and finding it works well.

[andrzej g.]

Dear Patti,
MDS is technically speaking comletely different entity from AML from the biologic point of view.
As you mentioned, the difference does not really matter a lot for today since the introduced treatment options and prognosis up to now are similar or even the same.
However it is said the blasts level over 20% (30% in the FAB classification) allows to diagnose AML, things are quite more complicated than it seems.
Myelodysplastic marrows with blast levels > 20% (or presence of so called Auer Rods alternatively) are classified as AML-MDS to distinguish it from genuine AML.

[kristyk]

Patti
We have been told 20% BMB=AML. In my Mom’s case, to qualify for decitibine study, either BMB need to be at 20% and or blood blast need to be at 20%. The study is for AML, so we are waiting to get worse!?? My Mom’s doc, who is clinical director of the cancer center.. keeps telling me that MDS/AML in her case is semantic…he insists anyway we look at this it is or will be AML. He told me last visit that the old MDS classifications were outdated and not used anymore. ( this when i ask him to please tell us what her classification is RAEB-T etc..??) He still only answers with AML!! She was at 18% bmb and 11% blood on 6-13-05. blood % had gone down 3 since her May visit ( ggod?). this just the most frustrating disease! Good Luck. Kristy

[andrzej g.]

I would recommend visiting a link :

http://www.bloodjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/100/3/791?ck=nck

Andrzej

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