Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloproliferative syndrome following radiation therapy for non-hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Clinical studies

Seven cases of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) and one case of a malignant myeloproliferative syndrome have been seen after extensive radiation therapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A myeloproliferative syndrome with abnormalities in granulocytic, erythrocytic, and thrombocytic cell lines was present in all patients and in seven patients preceded ANLL by 2–18 months. The median time to the development of ANLL after primary disease therapy was 61 months (33–98 range). The leukemia was extremely refractory to therapy and median survival after diagnosis of ANLL was two months (range 0–9 months). Leukemia was seen only in those patients who received multiple courses and multiple techniques of radiation therapy.