Optimal Care Pathways for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS, or myelodysplasia) are a group of blood cancers which all affect, to a greater or lesser extent, the production of normal blood cells in the bone marrow. These include chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML), atypical chronic myeloid leukaemia (aCML) and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms unclassifiable (MDS/MPN). MDS occurs as a result of a mutation (or change) in one or more of the genes that control blood cell development. This change or changes results in the abnormal growth of blood stem cells.

Disease-specific Optimal Care Pathways have been developed for the following diseases, each accompanied by a quick reference guide and patient guide, specially designed to help people in Australia with blood cancer, and their loved ones. The OCP patient guides are suitable to be shared with your patients, to ensure they are informed of their upcoming blood cancer journey.

Optimal Care Pathways are one of the key recommendations in Australia’s National Strategic Action Plan for Blood Cancer. They will help you, as a health professional, provide nationally consistent, high-quality, evidence-based information at each stage of the blood cancer pathway, from diagnosis and treatment to ongoing care.