[A myelo dysplastic syndrome (refractory anemia with excess of blasts) occurred in a patient with small cell lung cancer during complete response].

A myelo dysplastic syndrome (MDS), refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB), that occurred in a patient with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) during a period of complete response (CR) was reported. A 66-year-old female patient was diagnosed as SCLC in March, 1985. Induction chemotherapy (CDDP, ADM, VCR, VP-16) achieved CR in May, 1985. She had received maintenance chemotherapy (CDDP, ADM, VCR (or VDS), VP-16) and chest irradiation (48.6 Gy) until May, 1988. The hematologic findings revealed MDS and she was admitted in June, 1989. She died one month after onset of MDS because of pneumonia. An autopsy showed no evidence of recurrence of small cell carcinoma in the primary site and other organs. There is a possibility of the risk of secondary leukemia following long term chemotherapy and irradiation in patients with SCLC, and the role of treatment after the achievement of CR in patients with SCLC remains to be clarified.