Clinical and cytogenetic features in six patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and a complex Philadelphia translocation.

Six patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia and a complex Philadelphia (Ph1) translocation are described. The complex Ph1 translocations were a three-way translocation in five patients and a five-way translocation in one. Additional chromosomal aberrations were detected in four of five patients when the blastic crisis supervened. The median survival time was 42 months. The remaining patient died of acute myocardial infarction 23.5 months after the diagnosis of CML was made. There seems no difference between these six patients and those with the standard Ph1 with respect to clinical, hematologic and cytogenetic findings.