Purpose: To analyze therapy-related acute myeloid leukemias (tAMLs) with t(8;21), inv(16), or t(8;16).
Patients and methods: Twenty-five patients with tAML and t(8;21)(q22;q22), inv(16)(p13;q22), or t(8;16)(p11;p13) from seven centers, along with 23 previously published cases, were studied.
Results: Twenty-six, 16, and six patients, respectively, had t(8;21), inv(16), and t(8;16). Prior cancer was a solid tumor in 27 cases, and a hematologic malignancy in all other patients. Five patients had received prior radiotherapy (RT) alone, and 43 had received prior chemotherapy with or without RT. Prior chemotherapy included a drug that directly reacts with DNA (alkylating agent or cisplatin) and/or an agent that targets topoisomerase II (ATTop, an anthracycline or derivative or, less often, epipodophyllotoxin) in most patients. The interval between prior tumor and diagnosis of tAML was less than 3 years in most cases, and only seven patients had a preleukemic phase of disease. Morphology was M2 AML for t(8;21), M4eo for inv(16), and M4 or M5 for t(8;16). Sixteen of 21 (76%), 12 of 14 (86%), and zero of four patients with t(8;21), inv(16), and t(8;16), respectively, achieved complete remission (CR) with intensive chemotherapy. The actuarial disease-free survival rate at 24 months was 47% and 54% in patients with t(8;21) and inv(16), respectively.
Conclusion: Like other tAMLs with a karyotype specific of de novo AML [balanced 11q23 rearrangement or t(15;17)], tAMLs with t(8;21), inv(16), or t(8;16) are usually characterized by a short latent period, previous treatment often combining a drug that directly reacts with DNA and an ATTop, and absence of preleukemic phase. Hematologic characteristics and response to treatment are also identical to those of de novo AML with the same karyotypes.