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Late side effects of chemotherapy in ovarian carcinoma: A cytogenetic, hematologic, and statistical study
Author(s) -
Einhorn Nina,
Eklund Gunnar,
Franzén Sixten,
Lambert Bo,
Lindsten Jan,
Söderhäll Stefan
Publication year - 1982
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(19820601)49:11<2234::aid-cncr2820491106>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , ovarian carcinoma , chemotherapy , oncology , carcinoma , side effect (computer science) , ovarian cancer , cancer , computer science , programming language
Late side effects of chemotherapy were studied in 51 women who had received at least 300 mg of melphalan for ovarian cancer and had survived for at least three years. Hematologic, statistical, and cytogenetic methods were employed. Six cases of iatrogenic leukemia were found. They appeared to represent a hematologic entity that is fairly difficult to recognize. The risk of iatrogenic leukemia in women who survived for three years or more after melphalan treatment was calculated to be 950 times greater than the leukemia risk in the total female population. The cylogcnetic changes were studied with three methods focused on sister chromatid exchange, chromosome aberrations, and DNA damage. The sister chromatid exchange frequency showed a marked increase, but it was corrected within a few months. Chromosome aberrations expressed by chromosome rearrangements were increased in the peripheral lymphocytes and may persist for several years. The frequency of DNA strand breaks was decreased indicating the presence of DNA cross‐links. Any of these types of genetic alteration could be the initiating event in carcinogenesis.