Myelodysplastic syndrome and acute leukaemia following treatment of soft tissue sarcoma

The incidence of secondary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute leukaemias (AL) after chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is increasing. Most cases have been described in patients with Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, multiple myeloma, polycythemia vera, ovarian cancer and breast cancer. We report 2 patients with secondary MDS and acute myeloblastic leukaemia after combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma. Five more cases have been described in the literature. The data of all patients are summarized. The occurrence of secondary MDS/AL in patients with soft tissue sarcoma may become a problem, in particular in children, who have been cured after combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy.