Acute lymphocytic leukaemia complicating the course of hodgkin's disease-a case report of a kenyan african and review of the literature

Abstract

This is a case report of a 12-year-old male who developed acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) 8 years after a diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease (HD) had been made. During the 8 years, intensive radiotherapy and a single dose of cyclo¬phosphamide was given as treatment for HD. Review of the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) cancer registry records reveals that this is one of 498 patients diagnosed histologically as HD in 13 years, between 1965 and 1977, and therefore represents 0.2%. Although the aetiology of leukaemia occurring in the course of Hodgkin's disease is largely unknown, there is increasing evidence that prolonged patient survival, following improved therapy, may have an important role in leu kaem 0- genesis.