Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of diseases characterized by ineffective
hematopoiesis. For unknown reasons, the bone marrow begins producing dysplastic
myeloid stem cells. As the cells progress toward differentiation, they stall in
the maturation process. These cells have chromosomal abnormalities, typically an
addition or deletion, which they pass on to their progeny.13
The cells also produce toxins that cause extensive apoptosis of healthy cells, helping
the dysplastic cell lines achieve an advantage over healthy cells in subsequent
generations. The result is very active hematopoiesis that produces many immature
myeloblasts and ineffective blood cells. Since the blasts do not mature, the population
of healthy blood cells declines, as do the functions associated with the cells.13,14
DACOGEN® (decitabine) for Injection is a hypomethylating agent indicated to
treat patients with MDS, including
- Previously treated and untreated MDS
- De novo and secondary MDS
- All French-American-British (FAB) subtypes
(RA, RARS, RAEB, RAEB-t, CMML)
- Intermediate-1, Intermediate-2, and High-risk International Prognostic Scoring System
(IPSS) groups.1
For more about MDS, visit the following sections of this Web site:
And be sure to visit the Treatment with DACOGEN section
of this Web site to learn how DACOGEN is believed to target DNA methylation to help treat MDS.
Abbrevations: RA = refractory anemia; RARS = refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts; RAEB = refractory anemia with excess blasts; RAEB-t = refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation; CMML = chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
DACOGEN may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Women of childbearing
potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant while using DACOGEN. Men
should be advised not to father a child while receiving treatment with DACOGEN,
and for 2 months afterwards. The most commonly occurring adverse reactions include
neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, pyrexia, fatigue, nausea, cough, petechiae,
constipation, diarrhea, and hyperglycemia.
DACOGEN is available by prescription only. Please see the important product information
for DACOGEN for more information. This site does not contain everything that is
known about DACOGEN. If you would like to know more, talk to your healthcare professional.
This web site contains information relating to various medical conditions and their
treatment. Such information is provided for educational purposes only and is not
meant to be a substitute for the advice of a physician or other health care professional.
You should not use this information for diagnosing a health problem or disease.
Individual responses to DACOGEN treatment may vary.
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products discussed herein may have different product labeling in different countries.
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