Abstract
New treatments which may change the course of a disease, or which have potential carcinogenicity, may result in the development of new cytogenetic or clinical disorders. Three patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph-positive) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who developed new cytogenetic abnormalities after achieving a cytogenetic complete remission (CR) of their Ph-positive disease with interferon alpha (IFN-α) based therapy are described. Patient 1 developed chromosomal abnormalities involving chromosomes 5 (5q13-34) and later 7 (monosomy 7) 60 months after the start of therapy and 20 months after IFN-α was discontinued. A myelodysplastic syndrome was noted 83 months from the start of therapy. Patient 2 developed a myeloproliferative syndrome with 18p11 chromosomal abnormalities 90 months after the start of the therapy and 60 months after IFN-α was discontinued. Patient 3 developed a chromosome 11 abnormality (11q21-23) 23 months after the start of therapy, without hematological manifestations. All three patients remain in cytogenetic CR of Ph-positive disease with the hypermetaphase fluorescent in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction studies for BCR/ABL showing minimal residual disease. The emergence of new cytogenetic or clinical disorders in patients with CML on IFN-α therapy needs to be monitored. These findings may be related to changing the natural course of CML, to therapy, or to the emergence of suppressed clones in a stem cell disorder.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 767-771 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Leukemia |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1997 |
Keywords
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia
- Clonal evolution
- Cytogenetic response
- Interferon-alpha
- Myelodysplasia
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Cancer Research