Bone marrow chromosome abnormalities in breast cancer in patients following adjuvant chemotherapy

Abstract

Two patients developed acute bone marrow cancer following mastectomy and institution of alkylating agents as adjuvant chemotherapy. An aneuploid condition was observed in both cases, along with involvement of chromosomes 11 and 12 in structural rearrangements. Subsequent studies of 18 patients who had or had not received such therapy showed no evidence of chromosomal aberrations. However, the long-term effect of adjuvant chemotherapy in cancer patients is still of concern until additional information becomes available.