Clinical Characteristics of Childhood Leukemia with 11q23 Chromosome Abnormalities

Abstract

We studied the clinical and cytogenic characteristics in 11 cases of childhood leukemias with 11q23 chromosome abnormalities treated between 1984 and 1991 (2 ALL cases, 8 ANLL cases, one JCML at acute phase). Two infantile ALL cases had marked hepatosplenomegaly and hyperleukocytosis with CD 10-negative early B precursor phenotype. Both patients died within 1 year from the diagnosis. Seven ANLL cases with 11q23 abnormalities were at median 4-year-old (range, 1.2-12.5), consisted of 3 FAB-M4, 4 M5 and one M7 case. Hyperleukocytosis (> 100 × 10⁹/, u1) was present in 4 of the 8 cases. These ANLL patients had a poorer prognosis than those with other chromosome abnormalities or normal karyotype (p <0.05 and p <0.01, respectively), probably due to a high incidence of induction failure and relapse. More intensive chemotherapy including bone marrow transplantation and supportive therapy will be needed for such ANLL cases with 11q23 abnormalities. Acute leukemia with 11q23 abnormality was developed in a patient with JCML, following about two years of maintenance chemotherapy by etoposide (cumulative dose ; 8, 850 mg/m²), suggesting this could be secondary leukemia.