TUMOR LYSIS SYNDROME FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH 2-CHLORODEOXYADENOSINE FOR REFRACTORY CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA

The deoxyadenosine analogue 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine is an effective and relatively nontoxic treatment for hairy-cell leukemia1 and other B-cell neoplasms, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)2,3. In a recent study of 90 patients with CLL, including 62 with advanced disease, the overall rate of response was 44 percent, the most severe toxic effect being myelosuppression4. Excellent responses were recently reported in four patients who did not respond to fludarabine therapy, with myelosuppression as the only untoward side effect5. We report the occurrence of tumor lysis syndrome after the infusion of 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine in a patient with CLL and bulky lymphadenopathy… © 1993, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.