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Epidemiology

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  • MDS occurs primarily in older adults, with a median age at diagnosis of 70-75 years. It is more common in males than in females (approximately 2:1) and in smokers. It approaches 50 cases per 100,000 per year in persons over age 70 (1)
  • the increased incidence of MDS has been attributed to an improvement in geriatric medical care and diagnosis as well as to a general aging of the population (2)
  • MDS in younger adults and children is relatively rare, and is often associated with congenital disorders such as Down syndrome and Fanconi syndrome. (3)

Reference:

  1. Roman E, Smith A, Appleton S, et al. Myeloid malignancies in the real-world: occurrence, progression and survival in the UK's population-based Haematological Malignancy Research Network 2004-15. Cancer Epidemiol. 2016 Jun;42:186-98.
  2. Ma X. Epidemiology of myelodysplastic syndromes. Am J Med. 2012 Jul;125(7 suppl):S2-5.
  3. Fenaux P, Haase D, Santini V, et al; ESMO Guidelines Committee. Myelodysplastic syndromes: ESMO clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2021 Feb;32(2):142-56.

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