Therapy-related acute promyelocytic leukaemia.
We report three patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) occurring after treatment for other malignant disorders. One patient had had razoxane (a drug affecting DNA topoisomerase II) for cancer of the colon, and the other two had had treatment for cancer of the breast. Two out of the three patients went into complete remission. We review the published literature on therapy-related acute promyelocytic leukaemia (t-APL) and suggest that it is a genuine clinical entity which may be caused by drugs affecting DNA topoisomerase II, and has a prognosis similar to de novo APL.
Bhavnani
M
M
Department of Haematology, Wigan Infirmary.
Azzawi
S A
SA
Yin
J A
JA
Lucas
G S
GS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011379:Prognosis
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004250:DNA Topoisomerases, Type II