Carcinoma of pancreas associated with the 5q-syndrome

A female patient with the 5q-syndrome (refractory macrocytic anemia with deletion of the long arm of No. 5 chromosome) was followed-up for a period of 33 months and developed a carcinoma of pancreas. Until death she showed no signs of leukemic transformation. This association has not been described, and the genetic predisposition of 5q-patients to malignancies is discussed.