Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Can Sometimes Lead to AML Leukemia
It is generally recognized that exposure to benzene on the job or at work can cause acute myeloid leukemia (AML) / acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in workers. It is less well-known that benzene causes MDS, which is often classified as a precursor to AML leukemia. Simply put, this means that MDS can lead to the development of AML leukemia later.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of cancers in which immature blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature or become healthy blood cells. This results in a lack of healthy cells, which can lead to infection, anemia, or easy bleeding. MDS is also frequently referred to as “pre-leukemia,” as the risks of developing leukemia after a diagnosis of MDS are fairly high.
In addition to being aware that benzene causes MDS, it is important to know that it can be as much as 30 years from a person’s benzene exposure in the workplace or on a job site until getting their diagnosis of MDS, or some other benzene disease like aplastic anemia. This delay, or lag time, from a person’s benzene exposure in the past until the time their MDS was diagnosed is called, in medical terminology, a “latency period”.
Now that you have the basic facts about how benzene causes MDS in some workers many years later, you may be interested in learning more. For this purpose, we present links to some medical resources with information about MDS below.
Medical Resources for MDS Information
Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment
[National Cancer Institute] a7nbsp;- General Information About Myelodysplastic Syndromes
- Treatment Option Overview
- Treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes
- Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Myelodysplastic Syndromes
- More About Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
[MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine]- Diagnosis and Tests
- Prevention and Risk Factors
- Treatments and Therapies
- Related Issues
More Information
- Overview of Benzene Exposures
- Exposure to Benzene
- Benzene-Related Diseases
- Workers Exposed to Benzene
- Benzene Exposure in Industries
- Benzene-Containing Products
- Frequently Asked Questions