Relapse of ovarian cancer with bone marrow infiltration and concurrent emergence of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia: a case report

Synchronous breast cancer and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma bone marrow metastases

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is primarily a malignancy of childhood and adolescence. While RMS is rare in adults, the breast and the bone marrow are known but uncommon sites for metastatic disease. Bone marrow is also a known sanctuary site for metastatic breast cancer. We present the case of a woman with a remote history of breast cancer and RMS who developed anemia and thrombocytopenia of unknown etiology. Additional laboratory tests were negative for a cause; therefore, the decision was made to proceed with a bone marrow biopsy. The initial biopsy results were consistent with breast cancer metastasis. Subsequent diagnostic imaging of the breast led to biopsy of an enlarging morphologically benign breast mass, unexpectedly yielding alveolar RMS. This unanticipated diagnosis led to revaluation of the bone marrow, this time showing synchronous metastases from breast carcinoma and alveolar RMS. Imaging findings of this patient, along with literature review of RMS imaging characteristics, will be reviewed.

Therapy related myelodysplasia/myeloproliferative neoplasia-unclassified with acute leukemic transformation following Paclitaxel and Carboplatin based chemotherapy in an ovarian cancer patient

Alkylating agents used in chemotherapy are mutagenic and have strong leukemogenic potential. The most serious long term complication of chemotherapy is the development of secondary disease, particularly hematological malignancy; they have rarely been reported in the context of ovarian cancer treatment. We describe quite a rare occurrence of a myelodyplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassified (MDS/MPN-U) with acute leukemic transformation and multiple cytogenetic abnormalities not usually found together as JAK2 V617F mutation, 5q- and 7q-deletion, after exposure to paclitaxel and carboplatin based chemotherapy in a patient treated for ovarian cancer. We should be aware of such complication whose prognosis is really poor.