SARCOMA COMPLICATING CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE THERAPY FOR RA

A 62-year-old man was treated for rheu mato jd a rt hr it is of the hands and feet with chloroquine phosphate 250mg daily. After Iyear exacerbation of jo int sympto ms was relieved by the addition of prednisolone I 5mg daily and this regimen cont inued for 4 1/2years when cyclophospha mide 50 mg bid was added . Four mon ths late r he noted increasing dyspnoea and weight loss. Chest X­ray revealed a pleural effusion and nuid neoplastic ceus were found in th e aspirated fluid. He declined rapidJy; at post-mortem the

pleura was found covered in a grey nodu lar tu mou r, consisting of poorly-different iated sarcoma cells. No primary tumour wasdetected in the bronchia l tree .

'The irrl~rprelalio" lho t the present patiem deveioped a tumQur related to his immuno-:suppressive therapy is

currj«lural tnu the[act remains thaI tumour development slwulJ be considered as a potential hazard ofcyd tJplwsphamide ,herapy ·.

Marks.. J,S.andScholtz. c.L., PosliradlW~ ModicalJournalSJ, 48UIllI 19771

INPHARMA 21$t Ma y. 1971 pS