Introduction: PICALM-MLLT10, formerly CALM-AF10, is a rarely reported fusion gene in hematological malignancies, especially in Asian people.
Case presentations: Six patients with PICALM-MALLT10 fusion gene were identified at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China between October 2019 and October 2023, with a median age of 25 years. Clinical diagnoses included acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2 patients, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 3, and mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) in 1. The prognosis of the patients was poor, and three patients died within 1 year despite of intensive treatment.
Conclusion: Patients with PLCALM-MALLT10 can be diagnosed as AML, ALL, MPAL, and other extremely rare hematological malignancies, with mixed clinical manifestations and poor survival. Novel and intensive therapies, including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy, and targeted agents such as the Bcl-2 inhibitor, could be considered in the future.
Keywords: PICALM-MLLT10; acute lymphoblastic leukemia; acute myeloid leukemia; fusion gene; mixed-phenotype acute leukemia.