Background : There was a tendency toward increasing incidence of malignancies and double primary cancers associated with hematologic malignailcies. With few reports about the double primary cancers associated with hematologic malignancies, we investigated the incidence, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic outcomes of double primary cancers associated with hematologic malignancies.
Methods : During the 20 years(1973∼1992), 58,225 malignancies, 4,181 hematologic malignancies, and 449 double primary malignancies were registered at the Severance Hospital. Among them, 15 cases of double primary cancels associated with hematologic malignancies, proved by tissue biopsy or surgery, were analyzed.
Results : 1) There was a tendency toward increasing incidence of double primary cancers associated with hematologic malignancies. 2) The incidence of double primary cancers associated with hematologic malignancies among all malignancies and among all double primary malignancies were 0.03% and 3.34%, respectively. 3) There was no difference in sex distribution and the median age was 55 years. 4) Among the double primary cancers associated with hematologic malignancies, malignant lymphomas were the most common hematologic malignancies(11 cases). 5) The ratio between synchronous and metachronous cancers was 6:9, and the median time interval was 1.7 years in 9 metachronous cases, in whom 7 cases were treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. 6) There was no difference in the incidence of ABO blood types. 7) Among the 9 follow-up cases, 3 cases were under medical treatment and the median survival time from the secondary malignancy was 9 months in 6 cases.
Conclusion : Multiple primary cancers associated with hematologic malignancies need further speculation for the relations with chemotherapy or radiotherapy and also more understanding to recognize and treat it properly should be required.