NIH study finds increases in risk of certain leukemias related to treatment

On February 14, 2013, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced research that found that adults treated with chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other forms of cancer have an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).  The study, completed by researchers at  NCI and colleagues, describes a pattern of risk for those treated with chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), esophageal, prostate, and cervical cancer.  According to NCI, “The authors indicated that the increased risk among NHL survivors could be due to prolonged survival in recent years for some lymphoma subtypes that are associated with multiple courses of chemotherapy.”   The researchers also say, “…it is important to identify patient groups that have the highest risks of treatment-related leukemia, particularly for patients with cancers that have favorable survival potential, so that efforts to prevent a return of the disease can be implemented were possible.”