MDS Factsheet – for GP’s
20 Aug. 2013
A GP has to refer a patient with consistent abnormal blood results to a haematologist.
The sooner a patient is properly referred to a haematologist, the better, so that if necessary, treatment can start - or at least the patient can be actively monitored.
Many conditions can cause anaemia - and the GP needs therefore to rule out more common causes before suspecting a bone marrow failure/MDS.This Factsheet will help guide them with regards to a speedy referral if needed - and will raise their awareness of MDS.
As many of you have experienced - as a patient, you sometimes end up knowing more about MDS than your GP.
This is not unusual - a GP cannot always be precisely informed about all rare disorders. But this GP Factsheet will help a little.
MDS Patients and family members - please take a copy of this MDS GP Factsheet and hand it to your local GP.
Encourage your friends to do the same.
Too many patients are still diagnosed too late - or suffer from unexplained symptoms of fatigue or recurrent infections for too long. Help us raise better awareness amongst these very important physicians.
This GP Factsheet is the product of an international working group of MDS patient groups, comprising of:
AA&MDS International Foundation - ABRALE - AEAL - AIL - CCM - MDS Canada
MDS DK - MDS Foundation - MDS IG - MDS Slovenia - MDS UK
Special Thanks to the committee of MDS physicians working together with AA&MDS Intl Foundation for their work on this Factsheet
Many thanks also to Celgene for supporting the international working group
