Longitudinal growth in children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: comparison between unirradiated and irradiated patients.
Longitudinal growth was studied in children treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The aim of the study was to compare these children's growth velocity with findings in a previous study we performed on age-matched children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who received cranial irradiation. Nine children with NHL with an onset time of treatment between 4 and 9 years of age (mean 6.5 years) were studied with annual body measurements taken from the time of the diagnosis and thereafter annually during the following 4 years. None of the children received cranial irradiation. During the first treatment year a significantly low mean height velocity was observed (-1.4 standard deviation score [SDS]) for the NHL group. The consecutive two 1 year periods showed a normalization of the mean height velocity. For the group of children with ALL, there was a more prominent negative effect on height during the first 2 years of treatment than for the NHL group in the present study. After the cessation of therapy, the children with NHL showed a reduced catch-up growth compared with the children with ALL. The explanation offered is that cranial irradiation has a heavier impact on growth than chemotherapy during the first 2 years of treatment, but an intense chemotherapy during the maintenance period could have a considerable impact in blunting growth.
Márky
I
I
Department of Pediatrics I, Gothenburg University, Sweden.
Samuelsson
B O
BO
Mellander
L
L
Karlberg
J
J
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001921:Brain / Q000528:radiation effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006128:Growth / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013997:Time Factors