Abstract
We report a 12-year-old boy at onset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t (6;9) (p23;q34). The patient achieved the first complete hematological remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy, but the DEK/CAN fusion gene continued to be detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) during the long course of consolidation chemotherapy. He received allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an unrelated donor (u-BMT). The post-transplant course was uneventful and engraftment was rapid. After u-BMT, CR with negative RT-PCR for the DEK/CAN fusion gene has been maintained. Because of the low frequency, t (6;9) (p23;q34) is not accepted as an independent prognostic factor. Further large-scale studies on patients with AML involving such rare chromosomal abnormality showing a poor prognosis are indicated in order to evaluate the indications for BMT and the optimal conditioning regimen.
