title: Plasmablastic lymphoma in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia heavily pretreated with cladribine (2-CdA): an unusual variant of Richter's syndrome.
abstract: Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may develop a large-cell transformation known as Richter's syndrome (RS). RS usually presents as diffuse large-cell lymphoma (DLCL) or its immunoblastic variant, and it can be recognized simultaneously with CLL or even 23 yr after its diagnosis. We describe an unusual case of CLL treated with cladribine (2-CdA) in whom DLCL of the plasmablastic type (PBL) developed 4 yr after CLL (Rai IV) diagnosis and 1.5 yr after the 10th course of 2-CdA treatment. Immmunologic, cytogenetic, and molecular studies performed at the time of CLL and PBL coappearance indicated that both tumors originated from different B-cell progenitors. Both malignancies were refractory to VAD (vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone)-based chemotherapy, and only partial response was achieved with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) salvage treatment. However, the patient died 6 months after the occurrence of RS due to rapid progression of PBL. This is the first description of a CLL patient who developed an unusual plasmablastic variant of RS. Recently, the PBL entity has been identified among DLCL associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We suggest that in our CLL patient heavily pretreated with 2-CdA, PBL arose as a second clone due to the prolonged and severe state of the host's immunosuppression. Overall survival with current strategies is poor, and further insight into the natural history, biology, and treatment of PBL are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Department of Oncology, Medical University of Lódź, Poland. robaktad@csk.am.lodz.pl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Robak
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urbańska-Ryś
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strzelecka
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Krykowski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartkowiak
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Bĺoński
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kordek
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Warzocha
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017338:Cladribine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000473:pathology; D013577:Syndrome; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017338:Cladribine