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Robin Roberts: 'GMA' Co-Anchor Gets Bone Marrow transplant to Treat MDS

Written By Agent 737 on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 | 1:40 PM

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Robin Roberts, the co-anchor of “Good Morning America” underwent a bone marrow transplant on Thursday to treat Myelodysplatic Syndrome (MDS). She was diagnosed of MDS in April this year five years after battling and surviving breast cancer.
Myelodysplatic syndrome, which was formerly known as preleukemia, is a disease of the blood and bone marrow. It is characterised by a relative failure of production of red cells, the granulocyte and platelets despite the inappropriate hypercellular marrow. It is thought to be due to problems with differentiation or maturation of blood cells.
There are two major types:
1.      Primary MDS which is the most common and has no known cause.
2.      Secondary MDS – this may be due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy used in the treatment of malignancies.
Due to the previous history of breast cancer and the use chemotherapy and radiotherapy as treatment modality, Robin Roberts was diagnosed of secondary MDS.
MDS has also been linked to environmental exposures such as asbestos, silica, formica, arsenic, tin, steel, copper, benzene and smoking. Some forms of anaemia known as Aplastic anaemia and Fanconi’s anaemia may also transform into MDS.
It is commoner in elderly patients but may occur in young people who have been exposed to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other environmental exposures mentioned above.
Patients with MDS often develop severe anaemia and require frequent blood transfusions. Affected patients usually have fever, general body weakness, anaemia, bleeding tendencies, fatigue and dyspnoea. The spleen may also be bigger than normal.
The definitive diagnosis of MDS is made from blood films: peripheral blood films usually shows normocytic and normochromic anaemia: and the bone marrow shows the characteristic changes of dyserythropoiesis (with ring sideroblasts), dysgranulopoiesis and dysmegakaryosis.
The goals of treatment of MDS are to control symptoms, improve quality of life, improve overall survival, and decrease progression of the disease.
Three agents that have been approved by the U.S. food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of MDS include 5-azacytidine, Decitabine, and Lenalidomide.
However, however, stem cell transplantation offers potentials for curative therapy especially in younger patients. This is exactly what Robin Roberts got.
The bone marrow cells that Robin got were donated by her sister whose cells have earlier been confirmed to match that of Robin.
The entire crew of Staying Healthy Plus joins Robin Roberts’ fans and all the fans of “Good Morning America” to wish her quick recovery.
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