INTRODUCTION: Cytogenetic abnormalities have a significant prognostic effect in many hematologic neoplasms. Monosomal karyotype (MK), a newly recognized cytogenetic category, has been reported to be a marker of poor prognosis in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and myelofibrosis, but its effect in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) remains relatively unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of cases diagnosed with CMML found a total of 262 patients. Patient characteristics, cytogenetic data, and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Cytogenetic analysis found diploidy in 167 patients (64%). Trisomy 8 was the most frequent cytogenetic abnormality at 8% (22), followed by complex karyotype (CK) at 5% (14), (-)7 at 4% (10), and MK at 3% (7, of which 6 [86%] were also CK). Median overall survival was statistically significantly worse in MK-positive cases than in MK-negative cases (MK(+) vs. MK(-)). Patients with MK(+) only or CK(+)MK(+) did worse than any other group. CONCLUSION: MK is a rare entity but can predict statistically significantly shorter overall survival among all other cytogenetic categories.
INTRODUCTION: Cytogenetic abnormalities have a significant prognostic effect in many hematologic neoplasms. Monosomal karyotype (MK), a newly recognized cytogenetic category, has been reported to be a marker of poor prognosis in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and myelofibrosis, but its effect in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) remains relatively unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of cases diagnosed with CMML found a total of 262 patients. Patient characteristics, cytogenetic data, and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Cytogenetic analysis found diploidy in 167 patients (64%). Trisomy 8 was the most frequent cytogenetic abnormality at 8% (22), followed by complex karyotype (CK) at 5% (14), (-)7 at 4% (10), and MK at 3% (7, of which 6 [86%] were also CK). Median overall survival was statistically significantly worse in MK-positive cases than in MK-negative cases (MK(+) vs. MK(-)). Patients with MK(+) only or CK(+)MK(+) did worse than any other group. CONCLUSION: MK is a rare entity but can predict statistically significantly shorter overall survival among all other cytogenetic categories.