Cytogenetic effects of bleomycin therapy in man.

Abstract

Summary Direct, air-dried preparations of metaphase chromosomes from bone marrow cells from four cancer patients were made prior to, during, and after treatment with the antitumor agent, bleomycin. An increase in the number of chromosomal aberrations was observed following administration of bleomycin; these persisted in two of the patients approximately 1 month after therapy. The aberrations consisted of hypochromatic regions, gaps, and breaks, all of which were of both the chromatid and isochromatid types; not present, however, were multiradials, dicentrics, and rings. Histopathological studies of the marrow showed no abnormalities. The disparity between cytogenetic and histopathological findings remains unexplained.