Chronic myeloid leukaemia in Zambians

Sixteen Zambian Africans with chronic myeloid leukaemia are described. Clinical and haematological features were unremarkable except for the relative extreme youth of three patients (aged 18 years or less) and one patient with the aleukaemic form in whom the diagnosis was proved by marrow examination. Thirteen patients were treated with busulphan (Myleran), of whom 12 showed varying degrees of responsiveness, and one was completely resistant both to busulphan and cyclophosphamide. One patient became pregnant while receiving busulphan and another showed depression of spermatogenesis when investigated four years after start of treatment. The poor responsiveness of some Africans to busulphan is briefly speculated upon.