Early Recovery of Height Velocity in Prepubertal Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated by a Short Intensive Phase Without Cranial Radiation Therapy

Predicting Long-Term Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Using Normal Values of Ventricular Repolarization Markers Established from Japanese Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Cardiac complications due to anthracycline treatment may become evident several years after chemotherapy and are recognized as a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients or childhood cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVES

We analyzed ventricular repolarization parameters in electrocardiography for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients during chemotherapy and in long-term follow-up. To establish the reference values of ventricular repolarization parameters in children, we retrospectively summarized the Tpe interval, QT interval, QTc interval, and Tpe/QT ratio in healthy Japanese children.

METHODS

Electrocardiography data recorded from students in 1st and 7th grades were randomly selected from a database maintained by the school-based screening system in the Oita city cohort, Japan. Subsequently, chronological data of the Tpe/QT ratio in 17 pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were analyzed over time.

RESULTS

The mean ± standard deviation of the Tpe interval in 1st and 7th graders was 70 ± 7 and 78 ± 17 ms, respectively, while the mean ± standard deviation of the Tpe/QT ratio was 0.21 ± 0.02 and 0.22 ± 0.02 ms, respectively. During the intensive phase of treatment, the Tpe/QT ratios of 3 high-risk patients among the 17 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia exceeded the upper limit.

CONCLUSION

The Tpe/QT ratio has a potential clinical application in predicting the risk of long-term ventricular arrhythmia of cancer patients or childhood cancer survivors from childhood to adulthood.

Effect of Vertebral Fracture on Auxological Profiles of Children Undergoing Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric malignancy, and children with ALL often experience skeletal morbidity such as vertebral fractures (VF) during and after ALL treatment. Among various treatment-associated factors that affect growth pattern, the presence of VF might trigger growth impairment. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the overall VF incidence following childhood ALL treatment and examined the association of VF with growth. Methods: Children diagnosed with ALL whose treatment was completed between 2 and 15 years of age and who were screened with lateral thoracolumbar spine radiographs were enrolled. Clinical data, including anthropometric parameters were obtained at leukemia diagnosis (LD), treatment completion (TC), and 12 months following TC while VF assessment were obtained at TC and 12 months following TC. Results: In total, 155 children were included, and height status was decreased, whereas weight and BMI status were increased throughout three observational points. VF incidence at TC was 18.7%. Height status were lower in children with VF at LD, TC, and 12 months following TC, while a greater height decline was observed during the treatment period. Age and height status at LD and average glucocorticoid (GC) dose were associated VF incidence at TC. The presence of VF was a significant risk factor of height decline during the treatment period. Conclusion: A substantial number of children experienced VF following ALL treatment completion, and the presence of VF might adversely affect auxological status in children. VF detection by routine surveillance throughout childhood ALL treatment is recommended to try to prevent compromised growth.