Chemotherapy
Another common treatment option for myelodysplastic syndromes is chemotherapy. This procedure uses several medications to eliminate abnormal stem cells and allow other healthy blood cells to grow. Hypomethylating agents, such as decitabine and azacytidine, are a specific drug that can activate certain genes in the stem cells to help them develop. They are prescribed when a doctor finds out a serious risk of leukemia, a serious complication of myelodysplastic syndromes. Chemotherapy can also improve blood cell counts. While this is a very effective treatment options, some serious side effects may occur, such as weakness, nausea, fever, or reduce blood cell count. [2]
