title: Risk of Neoplasia in Pediatric Patients Receiving Growth Hormone Therapy--A Report From the Pediatric Endocrine Society Drug and Therapeutics Committee.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  GH and IGF-1 have been shown to affect tumor growth in vitro and in some animal models. This report summarizes the available evidence on whether GH therapy in childhood is associated with an increased risk of neoplasia during treatment or after treatment is completed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PubMed search conducted through February 2014 retrieved original articles written in English addressing GH therapy and neoplasia risk. Subsequent searches were done to include additional relevant publications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In children without prior cancer or known risk factors for developing cancer, the clinical evidence does not affirm an association between GH therapy during childhood and neoplasia. GH therapy has not been reported to increase the risk for neoplasia in this population, although most of these data are derived from postmarketing surveillance studies lacking rigorous controls. In patients who are at higher risk for developing cancer, current evidence is insufficient to conclude whether or not GH further increases cancer risk. GH treatment of pediatric cancer survivors does not appear to increase the risk of recurrence but may increase their risk for subsequent primary neoplasms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children without known risk factors for malignancy, GH therapy can be safely administered without concerns about an increased risk for neoplasia. GH use in children with medical diagnoses predisposing them to the development of malignancies should be critically analyzed on an individual basis, and if chosen, appropriate surveillance for malignancies should be undertaken. GH can be used to treat GH-deficient childhood cancer survivors who are in remission with the understanding that GH therapy may increase their risk for second neoplasms.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (S.R.), Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; University of Kansas Medical Center (S.R.), Kansas City, Kansas 66160; Department of Pediatrics (A.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes (A.G.), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders (S.G.W.), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Division of Endocrinology (B.S.M.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (C.A.S.), New York, New York 10065; and Emory University/Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (L.R.M., B.C.P.), Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: Sripriya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (S.R.), Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; University of Kansas Medical Center (S.R.), Kansas City, Kansas 66160; Department of Pediatrics (A.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes (A.G.), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders (S.G.W.), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Division of Endocrinology (B.S.M.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (C.A.S.), New York, New York 10065; and Emory University/Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (L.R.M., B.C.P.), Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: Adda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grimberg
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (S.R.), Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; University of Kansas Medical Center (S.R.), Kansas City, Kansas 66160; Department of Pediatrics (A.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes (A.G.), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders (S.G.W.), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Division of Endocrinology (B.S.M.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (C.A.S.), New York, New York 10065; and Emory University/Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (L.R.M., B.C.P.), Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Waguespack
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (S.R.), Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; University of Kansas Medical Center (S.R.), Kansas City, Kansas 66160; Department of Pediatrics (A.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes (A.G.), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders (S.G.W.), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Division of Endocrinology (B.S.M.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (C.A.S.), New York, New York 10065; and Emory University/Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (L.R.M., B.C.P.), Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: Bradley S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (S.R.), Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; University of Kansas Medical Center (S.R.), Kansas City, Kansas 66160; Department of Pediatrics (A.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes (A.G.), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders (S.G.W.), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Division of Endocrinology (B.S.M.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (C.A.S.), New York, New York 10065; and Emory University/Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (L.R.M., B.C.P.), Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sklar
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (S.R.), Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; University of Kansas Medical Center (S.R.), Kansas City, Kansas 66160; Department of Pediatrics (A.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes (A.G.), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders (S.G.W.), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Division of Endocrinology (B.S.M.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (C.A.S.), New York, New York 10065; and Emory University/Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (L.R.M., B.C.P.), Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: Lillian R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Meacham
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology (S.R.), Children's Mercy Hospital, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; University of Kansas Medical Center (S.R.), Kansas City, Kansas 66160; Department of Pediatrics (A.G.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes (A.G.), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104; Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders (S.G.W.), University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030; Division of Endocrinology (B.S.M.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (C.A.S.), New York, New York 10065; and Emory University/Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (L.R.M., B.C.P.), Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: Briana C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone
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