Question: What are the treatments for Myelodysplastic/ Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ?
Answer: Key Points - There are different types of treatment for patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms. - Five types of standard treatment are used: - Chemotherapy - Other drug therapy - Stem cell transplant - Supportive care - Targeted therapy - New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. - Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. - Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment. - Follow-up tests may be needed. There are different types of treatment for patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms. Different types of treatments are available for patients with myelodysplastic /myeloproliferative neoplasms. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment. Five types of standard treatment are used: Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. Combination chemotherapy is treatment using more than one anticancer drug. See Drugs Approved for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms for more information. Other drug therapy 13-cis retinoic acid is a vitamin -like drug that slows the cancer's ability to make more cancer cells and changes the way these cells look and act. Stem cell transplant Stem cell transplant is a method of replacing blood -forming cells that are destroyed by chemotherapy. Stem cells (immature blood cells) are removed from the blood or bone marrow of the patient or a donor and are frozen and stored. After the chemotherapy is completed, the stored stem cells are thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion. These reinfused stem cells grow into (and restore) the body's blood cells. Supportive care Supportive care is given to lessen the problems caused by the disease or its treatment. Supportive care may include transfusion therapy or drug therapy, such as antibiotics to fight infection. Targeted therapy Targeted therapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs or other substances to attack cancer cells without harming normal cells. Targeted therapy drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used to treat myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable. TKIs block the enzyme, tyrosine kinase, that causes stem cells to become more blood cells (blasts) than the body needs. Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) is a TKI that may be used. Other targeted therapy drugs are being studied in the treatment of JMML. See Drugs Approved for Myeloproliferative Neoplasms for more information. New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment. Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment. Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward. Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment. Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. See the Treatment Options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials. These have been retrieved from NCI's listing of clinical trials. Follow-up tests may be needed. Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups. Treatment Options for Myelodysplastic/ Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia Treatment of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) may include the following: - Chemotherapy with one or more agents. - Stem cell transplant. - A clinical trial of a new treatment. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia Treatment of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) may include the following: - Combination chemotherapy. - Stem cell transplant. - 13-cis-retinoic acid therapy. - A clinical trial of a new treatment, such as targeted therapy. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Atypical Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Treatment of atypical chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) may include chemotherapy. Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR-ABL1 negative. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website. Myelodysplastic/ Myeloproliferative Neoplasm, Unclassifiable Because myelodysplastic /myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable (MDS/MPN-UC) is a rare disease, little is known about its treatment. Treatment may include the following: - Supportive care treatments to manage problems caused by the disease such as infection, bleeding, and anemia. - Targeted therapy (imatinib mesylate). Check the list of NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. Talk with your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.