Persistent bone marrow depression following short-term treatment with temozolomide

Abstract

Temozolomide (TMZ) is, in combination with radiotherapy (RT), the treatment of choice for glioblastoma multiforme. Although generally well tolerated, haematological side effects are observed in approximately 1-10% of patients receiving TMZ. We report a case of a patient who developed severe bone marrow failure (BMF) after only 3 weeks of concomitant TMZ. The BMF was grave with no signs of improvement for 12 months, resulting in more than 100 transfusions of blood cells.