Hodgkin lymphoma in a case of chronic myeloid leukemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Abstract

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by increased and unregulated proliferation of granulocytic lineage in the bone marrow and presence of these immature myeloid cells in the peripheral blood with presence of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are the most important drugs in the CML therapy and provide long disease-free survival. Due to the increased survival of CML patients with continual administration of these drugs, the chance of development of secondary malignancies may increase. The most common secondary malignancies are prostate, colorectal and lung cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, malignant melanoma, non-melanoma skin tumors and breast cancer. Herein, we are describing a rare case of Hodgkin lymphoma in a patient of CML after ten year of primary disease presentation. Hodgkin lymphoma in a known case of CML is very rare and further studies are also needed to know the pathogenic relationship between the two entities and to assess the risk of secondary Hodgkin lymphoma in CML patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. CML itself is a risk factor for development of solid cancers and hematologic malignancies. In addition, patients on chemotherapy are immune-compromised and may be at greater risk of neoplasm driven by infectious agents such as Epstein-Barr virus.