Chronic myeloid leukemia following radioactive iodine (131)I therapy of thyroid cancer.

We describe a 51 years old female patient who developed Ph1 positive chronic myeloid leukemia 7 years following radioactive iodine therapy for follicular carcinoma of thyroid. Until now, only two patients have been reported to have developed CML after this kind of therapy. The underlying mechanisms are discussed and the need to study such patients at cytogenetic, molecular biologic and cell kinetic levels is stressed.