title: Chronic myelogenous leukemia occurring in two brothers diagnosed 26 years apart.
abstract: Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of the chromosomal abnormality t(9;22)(q34;q11), which is detected in more than 90% of cases. Despite great strides in our understanding of this disease, few predisposing etiologic factors have been identified. We report on the case of a 45-year-old man with Philadelphia chromosome-positive, BCR-ABL fusion-positive chronic-phase CML, whose brother had succumbed to the same disease 22 years earlier. While a coincidental familial occurrence cannot be excluded in this case, we believe that this report underscores the need for further investigation of possible unknown environmental or heritable etiologic factors in this disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Lenox Hill Hospital, 100 East 77th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA. dslessen@yahoo.com
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lessen
authors.forename: Amory V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Novoselac
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hellman
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.forename: Lynn H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Ratner
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Najfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D035781:Siblings
chemical_list: D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl