TRANSLOCATION 4-11 IN ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA - CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 59  (1) , 96-99
Abstract
Banded bone marrow chromosme analyses were done on 83 unselected patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Seven patients, all with non-T, non-B ALL, had a translocation involving the long arms of chromosomes 4 and 11. Five of these patients, 4 children and 1 adult, were 1st studied at diagnosis; the t(4:11) (q21:q23) was the only karyotypic abnormality. All 5 presented with a marked leukocytosis (> 150 .times. 109/l). Four of these 5 patients achieved a complete remission following the same intensive treatment regimen; however, remission duration and survival were very short (medians 2.5 and 8 mo. respectively). The 5th patient is currently receiving induction chemotherapy. The remaining 2 patients, both adults, were studied in relapse only, and had other karyotypic abnormalities in addition to the t(4;11). One of these relapse patients was a female whose clinical presentation and course were similar to those above. The last patient was a male who presented with a leukocyte count of 7 .times. 109/l and maintained an initial complete remission for 37 mo. Patients who have a t(4:11) (q21;q23) at the time of diagnosis of ALL probably have a poor prognosis with conventional therapy and require a new therapeutic approach.