Robin Roberts's new fight a cautious reminder

[ActiveMSers]

"Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts was recently diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and will need an allogenic bone marrow transplant (her sister will be her donor). This blood and bone marrow disease is not a total surprise. Five years ago Roberts underwent both chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer, which substantially raised her risk of other diseases later in life.

Wikipedia: Some [MDS] patients have a history of exposure to chemotherapy (especially alkylating agents such as melphalan, cyclophosphamide, busulfan, and chlorambucil) or radiation (therapeutic or accidental), or both (e.g., at the time of stem cell transplantation for another disease).

The BEAM chemotherapy I received included the agents carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (a known potential MDS trigger) but thankfully no radiation. Even so, many chemotherapies are associated with a higher risk of blood diseases. Roberts's situation is a reminder that the side effects of chemotherapy can arise years down the road.

It's a risk I was willing to take and will require a watchful eye for years. Alas, it is one of the issues with a truly myeloablative treatment for MS.

[MarkLavelle]

... many chemotherapies are associated with a higher risk of blood diseases. Roberts's situation is a reminder that the side effects of chemotherapy can arise years down the road.

It's a risk I was willing to take and will require a watchful eye for years. Alas, it is one of the issues with a truly myeloablative treatment for MS.

I admire your determination in spite of knowing the risks.

I had chemo & radiation for lung cancer back in 1996, and my neuro didn't think any of the immuno-suppressing DMDs would be safe enough for me. That left only Copaxone, which is designed to work as a 'decoy' rather than a suppresant.

One factoid that I haven't figured out how to process is: Both my physiatrist (spine doc who 1st sent me to a neuro) and my neuro at Stanford believe my chemo is most likely the cause of my MS. Has anyone else ever heard anything similar?

[ActiveMSers]

I haven't heard of MS as a side effect of chemo. I also haven't seen any scholarly articles linking the two and the disease isn't listed as a side effect of any major chemo drug to my knowledge. Strange coincidences happen, though.