del(15q) is a recurrent minor-route cytogenetic abnormality in the clonal evolution of chronic myelogenous leukemia
Abstract: The del(15q) chromosomal abnormality is known to occur in acute leukemias, but has rarely been described in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Described here are five cases of CML associated with del(15q): four men and one woman. Bone marrow aspirate smears showed increased blasts in all cases at the time of del(15q) detection, in accelerated phase in two cases and myeloid blast phase in three. Conventional cytogenetic analysis showed t(9;22) and del(15q), as well as other inconsistent clonal abnormalities. All patients received imatinib mesylate; four received additional chemotherapy, and two had allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Of the three patients who did not receive ASCT, one died, one was in persistent blast phase, and one was in clinical remission with molecul…
