CHROMOSOMES AND CAUSATION OF HUMAN CANCER AND LEUKEMIA .33. 5Q-IN A CASE OF ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA (ALL)

The case of a 4‐year‐old boy with ALL, possibly developing subsequent to a lymphoma involving the throacic cavity, which was shown to be of the T‐cell type, is presented. The leukemic cells had a 5q– anomaly, which had previously been described only in cases of refractory anemia and/or AML. The 5q– abnormality was invariably accompanied by a 9p– chromosome in the leukemic cells. The interstitial deletion leading to the 5q– chromosome was shown with banding techniques to be similar to that described previously in myeloproliferative disorders. Some aspects of the 5q– anomaly in ALL and its relation to previous experience with this karyotypic change are discussed. Copyright © 1979 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company