Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a particularly problematic disease. This myeloid clonal hemopathy is heterogeneous, with varying stages having differing clinical problems that require specific yet disparate therapeutic approaches. Major morbidity relates to the patients' symptomatic cytopenias and their potential for progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The patients' generally elderly ages complicate management of the illness due to attendant comorbidities. Beyond standard supportive care with transfusions, virtually all treatments for MDS are currently experimental. This combination of characteristics has contributed to the difficulty in determining appropriate therapy for MDS patients. Fundamental to improving the care for these individuals is a more thorough clinical characterization and basic understanding of mechanisms causing the marrow hemopoietic dysfunction central to this disorder.

Given these features and the increasing incidence of MDS as our populations age, this book is quite germane in providing a comprehensive state-of-the-art update of the current status and recent advances in the field. It describes major treatises by an international group of MDS experts on the clinical classification, underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, and biologically targeted treatments of the disease. Each of the book's 10 chapters provides critical insights into specific topics, demonstrating interconnections between subjects.

Chapter 1 reviews the current clinical and prognostic categorizations of MDS, describing the complexity of establishing disease diagnosis and the critical clinical and biological features used to categorize MDS prognostically so that effective management strategies may be undertaken.