Synchronous dual hematological malignancies: new or underreported entity?

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Synchronous dual hematological malignancies (SDHM) can be unexpectedly diagnosed in patients with a single primary blood cancer.
• The presence of a secondary malignancy may be overlooked, often identified through discordant clinical or laboratory findings.
• The etiopathology and therapeutic impact on SDHM present significant clinical management challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and characterize patients diagnosed with synchronous double hematological malignancies.
• To share clinical experience managing this challenging patient group.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 3036 patients with hematological malignancy.
• Data collected from February 2013 to July 2017 at a single cancer center.

Main Results:

• Identified 46 patients with SDHM, representing a 1.51% prevalence among all hematological malignancy diagnoses.
• Documented heterogeneous combinations of SDHM involving myeloid and/or lymphoid lineages.
• Detailed clinical management experiences for these underreported conditions.

Conclusions:

• Synchronous dual hematological malignancies are not uncommon.
• Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for SDHM when encountering unusual or unexpected clinical/laboratory findings.