[Acquired myelodysplastic syndromes after treatment of melanoma with fotemustine and dacarbazine].

INTRODUCTION

Secondary myelodysplasia after antimitotic therapy is a rare complication usually observed with alkylating agents. The condition usually progresses to acute leukaemia with very poor short term prognosis.

CASE REPORT

We report the cases of 2 women who developed myelodysplasia 2 and 9 months after treatment associating dacarbazine and fotemustine for visceral metastases of a malignant melanoma.

DISCUSSION

The frequency of these rare complications is probably underestimated because of the rapid unfavourable outcome of metastatic malignant melanoma. We were unable to determine whether dacarbazine, fotemustine or their combination was incriminated in this complication. Risk could be reduced by carefully determining the cumulative doses of these antimitotics.