title: The metabolic syndrome and body composition in childhood cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term survivors of childhood cancer appear to have an increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, subsequent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adulthood compared to healthy children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of the metabolic syndrome and associated factors in childhood cancer survivors at a single center in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of medical records of 98 childhood cancer survivors who were diagnosed and completed anticancer treatment at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea between Jan. 1996 and Dec. 2007. Parameters of metabolic syndrome were evaluated between Jan. 2008 and Dec. 2009. Clinical and biochemical findings including body fat percentage were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 19 (19.4%) patients had the metabolic syndrome. The median body fat percentage was 31.5%. The body mass index and waist circumference were positively correlated with the cranial irradiation dose (r=0.38, P<0.001 and r=0.44, P<0.00, respectively). Sixty-one (62.2%) patients had at least one abnormal lipid value. The triglyceride showed significant positive correlation with the body fat percentage (r=0.26, P=0.03). The high density lipoprotein cholesterol showed significant negative correlation with the percent body fat (r=-0.26, P=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood cancer survivors should have thorough metabolic evaluation including measurement of body fat percentage even if they are not obese. A better understanding of the determinants of the metabolic syndrome during adolescence might provide preventive interventions for improving health outcomes in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Bae
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Se-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Soo Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Keon Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Ki Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Jae Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hong Hoe
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Dong-Kyu
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Jin