Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia following Treatment with Human Growth Hormone in a Boy with Possible Preanemic Fanconi's Anemia

• Published in: Japanese journal of clinical oncology 1989-03, Vol.19 (1), p.36-39
• Main Authors: Wada, Emiko, Murata, Mitsunori, Watanabe, Shaw
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Anemia, Aplastic - blood; Child; Dwarfism, Pituitary - complications; Dwarfism, Pituitary - drug therapy; Fanconi Anemia - blood; Fanconi Anemia - complications; Fanconi's anemia; Growth Hormone - adverse effects; Growth Hormone - therapeutic use; Human growth hormone; Humans; Male; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - blood; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - chemically induced; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0368-2811; 1465-3621; 1465-3621
• DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jjco.a039269

The patient had a low birth weight and was born with appearence anomalies including microcephalus, microphthalmia, hypoplastic mandible, double chin due to cutaneous fold, micropenis. Ability to move and intelligence appeared to develop normally, but growth was markedly retarded. In June 1982, at the age of 2 yr 4 mo, the patient underwent tolerance tests whereby a deficiency of human growth hormone (GH) was proved by poor GH secretion response. GH was administered until April 1985 when acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed. The patient's younger brother, born in 1986, had similar birth anomalies and was diagnosed as having Fanconi's anemia. It therefore seems possible that our patient developed his acute leukemia through the stimulatory effect which GH had on a predisposition to leukemia.