Cytogenetic findings in chronic myelocytic leukemia and their prognostic correlation in patients of the National Institute of Cancer of Mexico

: This study describes the cytogenetic alterations in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) seen at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia (INCAN), Mexico City, whether they have been treated previously or not. It correlates these findings with the prognosis. We studied 31 patients seen during June 1987 and June 1990. Philadelphia (Ph+) chromosome was present in 61% of all specimens. In 10 cases it was the only anomaly, resulting in a survival greater than 40 months. Aneuploidies were seen in 50% of patients with previous treatment and in 31.5% of those without treatment. Patients with numerous abnormalities and double Ph+ (with or without Ph+ chromosome) had a mean survival of 32 months. The worst prognosis was seen in the a cases with no growth, with a mean survival of 19 months. This study suggests that the prognosis of patients with CML correlates with the cytogenetic anomalies whether patients have been treated previously or not. It also seems that the group of patients whose cytogenetic study does not grow or cannot be evaluated upon direct exam have a worse prognosis which may be secondary to intrinsic defects of the neoplastic cells that do not grow in vitro, resulting in a more aggressive disease in vivo.