Blood
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Secondary neoplasms (SNs) represent serious late complications after successful treatment of malignant diseases. To evaluate the rate and type of SNs after Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) treatment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we analyzed the data from the BFM database and the German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR). Between April 1979 and April 1995, 5006 children with B-precursor or T-ALL were enrolled in 5 ALL-BFM multicenter trials. ⋯ The development of secondary AML was not associated with the use of any specific cytotoxic agent. Considering the high-survival rate of this large unselected ALL cohort, the risk of SN is relatively low, though higher, especially after cranial irradiation, than in the general population. Long-term follow-up is mandatory, and further SNs with longer latency periods are to be expected. (Blood. 2000;95:2770-2775)