Xeroderma Pigmentosum and Medulloblastoma: Chromosomal Damage to Lymphocytes during Radiotherapy

Abstract

The effects of radiotherapy on a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) of complementation group C and medulloblastoma are reported. His lymphocytes showed no x-ray-induced chromatid damage, but unstable chromosomal aberrations increased throughout the course of radiotherapy as observed also in two other children (patients 2 and 3) with a similar tumor. Such damage was more dependent on spinal than cranial irradiation, lowest in the XP patient and highest in patient 3. Interindividual differences seemed largely due to the relative volume of body irradiated, but the damage in patient 3 remained relatively high even after accounting for such a factor. A maximum of 36, 68, and 77% of lymphocytes had aberrations in the XP and patients 2 and 3, respectively, but chromosomal damage did not show a Poisson distribution and indicated admixture of irradiated and nonirradiated cells. The relative frequency of the irradiated cells was estimated and seemed proportional to the ratios of the average irradiated field to the total body area. The XP patient showed no preferential loss of highly damaged cells and seemed not to suffer excessive chromosomal damage; he had a normal clinical response to and a favorable outcome of radiotherapy. These findings reduce anxiety on the usemore » of radiotherapy in XP patients or at least in those of group C.« less