Therapy-related acute myelogenous leukemia associated with 11q23 chromosomal abnormalities and topoisomerase II inhibitors: report of four additional cases and brief commentary.

We report 4 additional cases of therapy-related acute myelogenous leukemia (t-AML) with the translocation t(9;11)(p22q23). Chemotherapy for the primary malignancy (breast carcinoma in 2, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2) included agents with topoisomerase II inhibitory activity (doxorubicin in 2; doxorubicin and etoposide in 1; doxorubicin, etoposide and mitoxantrone in 1) as well as alkylators. In agreement with previous reports, the leukemia was monoblastic (FAB M5 subtype) in all 4 patients, with only 1 having prior myelodysplasia, and the latency period from primary therapy was relatively short (24-48 months). All patients received potentially curative treatment for the leukemia which included allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in 3; however, all died (3 of t-AML and 1 of lymphoma). Therapy-related AML associated with exposure to agents with topoisomerase II inhibitory activity (epipodophyllotoxins and anthracyclines) is a distinct entity, the genetic basis and optimal treatment of which remain to be determined.