PLATINUM AGENTS AND SECONDARY MYELOID-LEUKEMIA - 2 CASES TREATED ONLYWITH PLATINUM-BASED DRUGS

With the increasing use of chemotherapy for many different primary mal ignancies, secondary or therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemias (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are becoming more common. The ris k of developing sAML has been estimated to be between 2% and 10%, depe nding upon the type, duration and dosage of previous therapy (Michels et al, 1985; Shulman, 1993; Robinson & Mertens, 1993; Ballen & Antin, 1993). It is therefore one of the most serious long-term complications of current cancer treatment and is likely to increase as longer survi val rates for the primary tumour are achieved. An increasing range of drugs have been reported to cause sAML, including the alkylating agent s, the epipodophyllotoxins and the anthracyclines, both as single agen ts and in combination (Pedersen-Bjergaard & Philip, 1991; Pedersen-Bje rgaard & Rowley, 1994). We report two cases of secondary AML in which platinum compounds were the sole prior chemotherapy.