CHROMOSOME BREAKS AND SISTER-CHROMATID EXCHANGE AS PREDICTORS OF 2ND CANCERS IN HODGKINS-DISEASE

Hodgkin's disease (HD) survivors face an increased risk of developing second cancers. We evaluated baseline cytogenetic biomarkers, sister c hromatid exchange (SCE) and chromosome breaks [spontaneous (SCB) and b leomycin-induced (BIB)], as predictors of second cancer risk in a coho rt of 105 adult HD patients. During follow-up, seven second cancers oc curred. SCBs and BIBs showed no association with risk of second primar ies. Multivariate Cox regression revealed that high levels of SCEs (re lative risk (RR) = 11.3, p = 0.02) and age (RR = 1.08, p = 0.02) predi cted second cancer risk. Histology, stage, and treatment were not asso ciated with elevated risk. In conclusion, baseline SCE frequencies may be a useful biomarker for identifying HD patients at increased risk o f developing second cancers. These results need to be verified in a la rger cohort with a longer follow-up time.