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Acute myeloid leukemia evolving from essential thrombocythemia in two patients treated with hydroxyurea
Author(s) -
Furgerson James L.,
Vukelja Svetislava J.,
Baker W. Jeffrey,
O'Rourke Timothy J.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8652(199602)51:2<137::aid-ajh7>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - essential thrombocythemia , medicine , leukemia , myeloid leukemia , chemotherapy , acute leukemia , hydroxycarbamide , myeloproliferative disorders , bone marrow , radiation therapy , oncology , cancer research , immunology , polycythemia vera
Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is an uncommon myeloproliferative disorder, which is thought to develop from a multipotent stem cell. Like other myeloproliferative diseases, ET is associated with an increased risk of development of acute leukemia (AL). However, the large majority of cases of leukemic transformation in ET are thought to be related to prior therapy, usually radioactive phosphorous or alkylating chemotherapy, and the development of AL in ET is extremely rare in the untreated patient. In this report, two cases of ET which evolved into AL without prior exposure to radiation or alkylating agents, and which were treated with long‐term hydroxyurea therapy, are described. The first case had cytogenetic changes in the bone marrow suggestive of therapy‐associated leukemia, and the second developed myelodysplastic syndrome on therapy which was likely chemotherapy‐induced and led to acute leukemia. Prolonged used of hydroxyurea in patients with ET may lead to therapy‐associated acute leukemia. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.