Secondary acute myeloid leukemia after etoposide therapy for haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an uncommon disease with a high fatality rate. Etoposide is an important component of current HLH treatment regimes. Two patients with HLH developed etoposide-related secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) following therapy for HLH. Etoposide, an epipodophyllotoxin, is a topoisomerase II inhibitor that interacts with DNA to potentiate leukaemogenesis. The risk of developing sAML is estimated to be between 1% and 5%, 2-20 years after exposure to etoposide but may also be related to cumulative drug doses, treatment schedules, host factors and co-administration of other antineoplastic agents.
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. rshanti@um.edu.my
Shanti
S
RamaChandran
Hany
H
Ariffin
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005047:Etoposide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced*; D051359:Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000139:chemically induced*
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005047:Etoposide