Acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes related to alkylating agent

A subgroup of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN), associated with a treatment of an unrelated neoplastic or autoimmune disease with cytotoxic agents, like cyclophosphamid, platins, melphalan and others. The neoplastic cells typically harbor unbalanced aberrations of chromosomes 5 and 7 (monosomy 5/del(5q) and monosomy 7/del(7q)) or a complex karyotype. It usually presents with multilineage dysplasia and cytopenias 5-10 years after exposure, with symptoms related to the degree of bone marrow failure and the corresponding cytopenia (fatigue, bleeding and bruising, recurrent infections, bone pain).