Rare case of myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts 2 developing after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer in a patient with Bloom syndrome.

Abstract

Introduction: Bloom syndrome (BS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by a loss-of-function mutation in the BLM gene encoding an RecQ helicase involved in DNA repair and maintenance of chromosomal stability. In patients with BS, significant sensitivity to both DNA-damaging chemotherapy (CT) and ionizing radiation complicates the management of neoplasms by exacerbating comorbidities and predisposing to toxicities and poor outcomes.

Case report: A 30-year-old female patient diagnosed with BS who presented with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer was treated with four cycles of doxorubicin (60 mg/m²) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m²) followed by weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m²) for 12 weeks as the chemotherapy protocol and a total of 5000 cGy curative radiotherapy (RT). Due to pancytopenia 8 months after completion of therapy, bone marrow biopsy and aspiration were performed, and a diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome with excess blasts 2 (MDS-EB2) was made. Two courses of the azacitidine (75 mg/m²) protocol were administered every 28 days in the hematology clinic. Two weeks after CT the patient was transferred from the emergency department to the hematology clinic with the diagnosis of pancytopenia and febrile neutropenia. She died at the age of 33 due to sepsis that developed during follow-up.

Conclusion: Due to the rarity of BS, there is no prospective trial in patients with cancer and no evidence base upon which to design treatment programs. For these reasons, it is strongly recommended that patients receive multidisciplinary care, with precise assessment and discussion of the indication and an adequate dose of DNA-damaging agents such as chemotherapy and ionizing radiation.