Latency of onset of de novo myelodysplastic syndromes.

The latency of onset of de novo myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is unknown. We report a retrospective analysis of blood counts from patients with MDS and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and demonstrate temporal differences in rates of change of hemoglobin concentration and mean cell volume within 2-3 years of diagnosis, indicative of the earliest evidence of disease.