Detection of submicroscopic disease in the bone marrow and unaffected testis of a child with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who experienced "isolated" testicular relapse

Int J Hematol. 2009 Oct;90(3):370-373. doi: 10.1007/s12185-009-0393-3. Epub 2009 Aug 18.

Abstract

Testicular relapse has an impact on the prognosis of boys with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Because isolated testicular relapse often precedes hematological relapse, systemic therapy is required in addition to local therapy. However, a rationale for the use of a combination of systemic chemotherapy and local therapy is unclear. A 12-year-old boy with T-ALL suffered from isolated testicular relapse at 27 months after diagnosis. He was successfully treated with systemic chemotherapy with orchiectomy and prophylactic irradiation to the contralateral testis. We retrospectively estimated the minimal residual disease in the bone marrow (BM) and the testis by detection of clone-specific T-cell receptor rearrangement of leukemic cells. We detected leukemic cells in the affected testis at relapse, as well as in the BM at initial diagnosis. In addition, we confirmed submicroscopic disease in the unaffected testis and the BM at relapse. We conclude that molecular analysis could reveal the submicroscopic disease in the patient with apparently isolated testicular relapse. This finding may provide a rationale for intensified systemic treatment of patients with isolated testicular relapse.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Asparaginase / therapeutic use
  • Bone Marrow / pathology*
  • Child
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Daunorubicin / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology*
  • Neoplasm, Residual / pathology
  • Orchiectomy
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology*
  • Prednisone / therapeutic use
  • Remission Induction
  • Testicular Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Testicular Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Testicular Neoplasms / surgery
  • Testis / pathology*
  • Testis / surgery
  • Vincristine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Vincristine
  • Asparaginase
  • Prednisone
  • Daunorubicin

Supplementary concepts

  • PVDA protocol