A single-center population-based consecutive series of 1500 cytogenetically investigated adult hematological malignancies: karyotypic features in relation to morphology, age and gender

During the 18-yr period 1976-93, a population-based series of 1586 adults w ith suspected or confirmed hematological malignancies were successfully cyt ogenetically investigated at a single center. Eighty-six cases were exclude d due to unretrievable medical records or if analyzed only in remission or at relapse. The remaining 1500 medical records were reviewed regarding morp hology and clinical parameters in order to investigate possible association s between karyotypic pattern (normal, 1, 2 or complex anomalies; specific a bnormalities) and gender, age and morphological subgroups. The impact of ti me-period, i.e. 1976-87 vs. 1988-93, and referring center on cytogenetic fi ndings was also studied. A total of 372 acute myeloid leukemias (AML), 389 myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 64 acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) and 262 chronic myeloid leukemias (CML) were identified, altogether 1087 cases . Patients with other (n=261) or no hematological malignancies (n = 152) we re excluded from the present analysis. Cytogenetic abnormalities were detec ted in 52% AML, 51% MDS, 68% ALL and 97% CML, frequencies that did not diff er significantly between the 2 time periods or referring centers. No signif icant age- or gender-related differences in karyotypic patterns were discer ned in AML, MDS, ALL or CML, whereas the karyotypic patterns varied among t he FAB groups in both AML (p=0.001) and MDS (p<0.001). The specific abnorma lities t(8;21), t(15;17) and inv(16) were more common (p<0.001) in younger AML patients and 5q- was more frequent in females with MDS (p<0.001). These findings indicate, in contrast to previous series, that neoplasia-associat ed karyotypic aberrations are not more common among older patients or in ma les.