Chromosomal anomalies in children treated for cancer

Cytogenetic studies were carried out in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 31 children with cancer (12 retinoblastomas, 9 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, 7 neuroblastomas and 3 Wilms' tumors) with the purpose of investigating the prevalence and persistence of chromosomal aberrations before onset of antineoplastic treatment and at different intervals thereafter. The number of treated patients with chromosomal anomalies was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) and so was the percent of cells with aberrations, as compared to untreated patients or healthy controls. The most frequent aberrations were of chromatid type. One patient had a number five trisomy in the third posttreatment study and another presented abnormal aneuploid cells in the third and fourth posttreatment studies. Congenital chromosomal anomalies were not observed, nor anomalies described for some of these tumors. There was no regularity in the effected chromosomes. We conclude that the observed chromosomal aberrations were due to treatment. We consider a prolonged and stringent cytogenetic follow up of such patients necessary to detect the induced aberrations.