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Ovarian carcinoma terminating in acute nonlymphocytic leukemia following alkylating agent therapy
Author(s) -
Kapadia Silloo B.,
Krause John R.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197805)41:5<1676::aid-cncr2820410505>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - medicine , thiotepa , pancytopenia , leukemia , ovarian carcinoma , carcinoma , autopsy , chemotherapy , surgery , cancer , oncology , ovarian cancer , cyclophosphamide , bone marrow
Rapidly fatal acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) occurred in a woman with advanced (Stage III) ovarian carcinoma who was treated with thiotepa for 30 months. This patient was 1 of 10 long term survivors and represented < 2% of patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma with regional metastases who received long term chemotherapy during the period 1947–1975. Acute leukemia developed 44 months after initial diagnosis and was preceded by a 10 month period of pancytopenia following cessation of thiotepa. The leukemia did not respond to treatment and the patient expired 3 weeks after its onset. At autopsy, leukemic infiltration of organs was seen, but there was no evidence of carcinoma. A review of the literature suggests that the development of AML reported in ovarian cancer patients is related to alkylating agent therapy.