[Secondary malignancies associated with hematological malignancies following anticancer treatment]

We have investigated the present status of secondary malignancies throughout the country following anticancer treatment for the initial cancers. We recorded by questionnaire 272 patients with multiple primary cancers associated with hematological malignancies from 64 among 1487 main institutes. Of them, we analyzed 131 patients who developed hematological malignancies from carcinomas metachronously and 101 patients who developed metachronous malignancies from hematological malignancies. Comparison of patients with a history of chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the initial cancer (treated group) and patients without (untreated group) showed that the incidence of secondary acute leukemias seemed to be higher than expected in the treated group. The characteristics of secondary acute leukemias were similar to those from the untreated group in age, types of leukemia, and hematological findings at diagnosis. However, patients from the treated group with secondary acute leukemias showed a tendency to have a higher frequency of antecedent hematological abnormalities and a poorer prognosis than those from the untreated group.