Rectal cancer associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

It has been reported that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) often occurs concomitantly with other malignant neoplasms. However, because CLL is rare in Japan, there are only a limited number of reports of the occurrence of malignant neoplasia in Japanese patients with CLL. We report here the simultaneous occurrence of rectal cancer and CLL in a 57-year-old man. Because the clinical stage of CLL was Rai system I, we decided, in accordance with the National Cancer Institute-Sponsored Working Group guidelines, to monitor him without therapy for CLL until evidence of disease progression, and we performed abdominoperineal resection of the rectum for the cancer. The small rectal tumor was associated with aggressive lymphangiosis carcinomatosa, and multiple nodal metastases were observed in the pool of CLL cells. He died of rectal cancer 7 months after the operation, and autopsy revealed extensive metastases of the cancer. Cellular and humoral immunity is often impaired in patients with CLL, and the defective immunity in this patient may have had an etiological role in the development and rapid progression of the cancer. In the follow-up of CLL patients, we must always be aware of the possible existence of a second malignant disease. Particular attention should be paid to those with defective immunity, and screening should be performed, especially for pulmonary and gastrointestinal malignancies.