The MDS Foundation Announces First-Ever 5K MDS Awareness Walk in Boston

YARDVILLE, N.J., June 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 20^th, the MDS Foundation will hold its inaugural 5K walk in Boston, Mass. to help raise awareness about Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), an often under-diagnosed rare group of bone marrow failure disorders that affects an estimated 12,000-20,000 people each year (or an average 33-55 people each day) in the United States.^1,2,3

While great strides have been made in advancing innovative research and treatments for MDS, the MDS Foundation is hosting the MDS Awareness Walk to enable stronger connections and fuel the need for further progress in the fight against MDS.

MDS patients, families, friends and organizations are encouraged to team up and participate in the walk, as well as those who are interested in walking in memory of a loved one.

Known as a rare form of blood cancer, MDS causes the body to no longer make enough healthy, normal blood cells in the bone marrow. For some patients, the disease may progress to a life-threatening failure of the bone marrow or a rapidly growing cancer of the bone marrow cells known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In fact, approximately 1 out of 3 MDS patients (or 30 percent)¹ progress to being diagnosed with AML.¹

For more information about the MDS Awareness Walk, and for those who are interested in walking, volunteering, becoming a sponsor or to donate, please go to https://www.mds-foundation.org/mds-awareness-walk/.

The MDS Awareness Walk is made possible by the support of our sponsors including Agios, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Celgene Corporation, Daiichi Sankyo, Onconova Therapeutics, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Samyang Biopharm, Syros Pharmaceuticals and Takeda Oncology.

The MDS Foundation, Inc. is an international non-profit advocacy organization whose mission is to support and educate patients and healthcare providers with innovative research into the fields of MDS, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and related myeloid neoplasms in order to accelerate progress leading to the diagnosis, control and cure of these diseases.

¹ Kurtin, S. Bennett, J. Greenberg, P. et. Al.  Building Blocks of Hope: Strategies for Patients & Caregivers Living with MDS. October 2017. Accessed: April 2018.
² Myelodysplastic Syndromes. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 2017. Accessed: April 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.lls.org/sites/default/files/file_assets/PS22_MDS_Booklet_2017.pdf.
³ Myelodysplastic Syndromes. National Organization for Rare Disorders. Accessed: April 2018. Retrieved from: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/myelodysplastic-syndromes/.

SOURCE MDS Foundation, Inc.