Hematologist Dr. Uma Borate on MDS: Putting Patients First

Guiding Families Through MDS Diagnosis

No matter what is on her to-do list, patient care is consistently at the forefront of Dr. Borate’s mind. In this exclusive conversation with hematologist Dr. Uma Borate on MDS, we learned how her team works to expand the understanding of patient care. Beyond that, she works closely with different organizations to develop newer, better treatments.

“I think that the focus of all of this work has to be on the patient and their caregivers,” she said. “A diagnosis like myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) always comes as a shock to patients. There’s a lot of information they need to process so the patient can understand what their disease is, what treatments are available, and how each treatment might impact their quality of life.”

To give families the best care possible, Dr. Borate builds strong partnerships across research hospitals. Bringing a promising new therapy from the lab to the clinic takes a massive team working in sync behind the scenes.

“We have a huge team at The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, even just within our clinical group, and they all require time and training to make this work possible,” she said. “It’s amazing and impressive and even mind boggling to think about how much time, effort, coordination, and teamwork goes into bringing these treatments forward for MDS patients.”

Hematologist Dr. Uma Borate on MDS: The Blood Disorder Impact

After first developing an interest in blood cancers during the early years of her career, she grew passionate about finding new therapies for rare diseases in the field of hematology. In a lot of ways, the extensive reach of this field is still overlooked.

“Blood is the only organ or tissue that touches every single part of your body internally. It’s the only overarching tissue that flows from your head to your toes,” Dr. Borate said. “If there is something that is not quite right with the blood – whether counts are too low or too high – it really impacts you from head to toe. Because of that, the presentation and treatment of blood cancers are somewhat nonspecific and can be challenging: You’re not really treating a specific part of the body because you’re treating the whole body, but you need to limit the patient’s exposure to excessive toxicities.”

That full-body reach changes how doctors design treatments. Instead of aiming radiation at one organ, hematologists treat the entire bloodstream while protecting healthy organs from harsh side effects.

Ending the Diagnostic Runaround With Gene Testing

Because blood flows everywhere, early MDS signs disguise themselves as everyday aging or heart trouble. When bone marrow stops making enough healthy red blood cells, patients feel wiped out and winded after climbing stairs.

In her clinic, Dr. Borate often meets patients who bounced from one specialist to another. Many even visit a cardiologist before a blood test points to MDS. Many MDS patients have gone through this diagnostic labyrinth firsthand including survivor Kathy Till, whose story we recently covered.

Thankfully, modern insights from Hematologist Dr. Uma Borate on MDS testing bring encouraging news: once a patient reaches a hematologist, modern lab tools pinpoint the root cause faster than ever.

“I think we’ve already progressed in the way we diagnose MDS,” she said. “Our testing is a lot more sophisticated, to the point that we can go down to the level of each specific gene that affects blood production and we can look for mutations in the genes to figure out what’s going on with the patient. We also have multiple different modalities and drugs to treat patients, on every point of the disease’s spectrum.”

Stopping MDS Progression: The HALT Program and Trial Safety

At The James, Hematologist Dr. Uma Borate on MDS research leads the HALT (Hematologic Malignancies at Risk of Leukemic Transformation) Program to catch high-risk genetic shifts before myelodysplastic syndromes progress into acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

“Clinical trials enable the medical community to improve our treatments constantly, rather than be satisfied with the status quo,” Dr. Borate said. “We always have therapies for patients, but these treatments are not always ideal; they may have side effects, they may not work for as long as we would like them to, or as well as we would like them to, and we always want to do better. The only way we can do better is to do clinical trials that offer the standard of care and then add something else to try and make a difference in the life of a patient.”

For newly diagnosed patients and families navigating this medical journey, Dr. Borate shares a grounded message of community support and empowerment.

“We have good treatments available, and we are here as a community to make sure that we continue to have good treatment options available so that we can help patients live their lives the best that they can, with as much quality as they can,” she said. “Information is power, so read and educate yourself about your disease so you can make decisions that make sense for what works with your life.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do MDS patients often see a cardiologist before a hematologist?

MDS lowers red blood cell counts, which starves the body of oxygen. This causes heavy fatigue and shortness of breath, symptoms that look just like heart problems. Family doctors check the heart first before ordering specialized blood and bone marrow tests.

How does gene testing change MDS treatment?

Insights from Hematologist Dr. Uma Borate on MDS show that gene testing is a major leap forward. By spotting exact gene mutations in the bone marrow, doctors skip one-size-fits-all chemo and pick targeted drugs or clinical trials built for that specific mutation.

What is the HALT Program at The James Cancer Hospital?

Led by Dr. Uma Borate, the HALT Program studies blood disorders that carry a risk of turning into Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). The program uses early genetic screening and preventive clinical trials to protect high-risk MDS patients.

Exploring Clinical Trials for MDS?

Clinical trials offer access to emerging treatments and novel therapies under development. If you are interested in exploring or enrolling in an active MDS trial, contact our team of experts today.