Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of disorders characterized by the abnormal growth of blood cells within the bone marrow. While MDS itself is not a cancer, it is considered a pre-cancerous condition because it can evolve into a form of cancer, specifically acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in some patients. The transformation rate is approximately 1 in 3 patients. Therefore, while MDS is not cancerous in its initial stages, it has the potential to become cancerous over time. read more >>

Myelodysplastic syndromes. In MDS, some of the cells in the bone marrow are abnormal (dysplastic) and have problems making new blood cells. ... In about 1 in 3 patients, MDS can progress to a rapidly growing cancer of bone marrow cells called acute myeloid leukemia (AML).read more >>