title: Growth patterns and final height of survivors of childhood leukemia.
abstract: Growth patterns of 85 survivors of childhood leukemia were analyzed retrospectively. All patients remained in first remission with no central nervous system involvement. The mean age at diagnosis was 5.8 +/- 3.6 years. The diagnoses were acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 68 patients (80%) and acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) in 17 patients (20%). All except two patients received cranial irradiation: 51 patients with 1,800 cGy and 32 patients with 2,400 cGy. Mean height SDS was -0.7 +/- 1.36 at the time of diagnosis, which decreased to -0.92 +/- 1.31 by the end of treatment, and further decreased to -1.14 +/- 1.38 at 6 years after cessation of treatment. Mean weight SDS was -0.55 +/- 1.13 at the time of diagnosis, increasing slightly to -0.39 +/- 1.02 at the end of treatment, and decreasing to -0.46 +/- 1.65 at 6 years after cessation of treatment. Of these survivors, 51 patients (26 boys and 25 girls) reached a final height that was 1.04 SDS or 5.3 cm less than their target height. There was no difference of height and weight SDS between patients with ALL and ANLL. Girls and boys had different growth patterns. Girls had a slightly increased height SDS and gained more weight after cessation of treatment, resulting in less final height deficit and overweight for height, whereas boys had further height and weight reduction resulting in more deficit of final height.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand. jsomchit@ratree.psu.ac.th
authors.forename: Somchit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaruratanasirikul
authors.forename: Kesinee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Owasith
authors.forename: Malai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wongchanchailert
authors.forename: Vichai
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laosombat
authors.forename: Hutcha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sriplung
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*