A CASE OF CECAL CANCER ASSOCIATING WITH ACUTE MYELOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

Abstract

We seldom encounter a solid cancer associating with acute leukemia, but not a small number of such cases which can be found in the course of anticancer chemotherapy have been reported on. This paper describes a case of colonic carcinoma which was found in a patient with acute myeloblastic leukemia in a sustained complete remission.
A 64-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of acute myeloblastic leukemia. The patient could have a remission and was discharged. He was followed on an ambulant basis. Around one year and 7 months after the onset of the disease, he noticed abdominal pain and a tumor in the right lower abdomen. One month later he was readmitted and was diagnosed as having a cecal cancer. Right hemicolectomy was carried out, because he was in complete remission from leukemia. Postoperative course was uneventful. Bone marrow puncture on 37th hospital day disclosed that he was still in complete remission. There is a discrepancy for patients with cancer of hematopoietic organs that longer survival can be expected thanks to progress in chemotherapy but it may cause an increasing risk to have secondary cancer. Strict observation is mandatory.