Brain tumors following cure of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The majority of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia can be cured with effective modern day therapy. However, more and more long term sequelae including carcinogenic potential of the treatment are being recognised. We report two children who developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of 4 and 5 years respectively and were successfully treated. They developed meningioma and astrocytoma at 9 and 3 years respectively after completion of therapy. Both were treated surgically and the patient with astrocytoma also received radiotherapy. Both are now free of disease 19 months after diagnosis of second neoplasm.