Body composition and bone health in long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in childhood and adolescence: the protocol for a cross-sectional cohort study

Physical impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors with and without hip osteonecrosis: a PETALE cohort study

PURPOSE

Long-term musculoskeletal complications represent a growing burden for survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (cALL). This study aimed to describe physical impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions in a high-risk subgroup of cALL survivors of the PETALE cohort.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study, using observational data from the PETALE cohort, included a subgroup of survivors who presented high-risk criteria for late effects. Outcomes measures consisted of hip magnetic resonance imaging, maximal isometric muscle strength (MIMS) or torque (MIMT), range of motion (ROM), Near Tandem Balance (NTB), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Five Time Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST), and health-related quality of life. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Survivors (n = 97, 24.2 ± 6.7 years old) showed limited grip strength, FTSST, and NTB performance compared to reference values (p < 0.001). Thirteen participants (14.6%, 18 hips) had hip osteonecrosis (ON) (53.8% male). Higher severity hip ON was found in female survivors (66.7% vs. 22.2%). Survivors with hip ON had reduced hip external rotation ROM compared to those without (p < 0.05). Relationships were found between MIMS and ROM outcomes (r = 0.32, p < 0.01) and with 6MWT (r = 0.39-0.41, p < 0.001). Our multiple linear regression model explained 27.6% of the variance of the 6MWT.

CONCLUSIONS

Survivors in our subgroup had clinically significant physical impairments and activity limitations, and those with hip ON showed worst hip impairment outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

These findings emphasize the importance of long-term follow-up including physical therapy assessment to help early identification and management of physical impairments and activity limitations in survivors of cALL.

The evolution of nutritional care in children and young people with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a narrative review

BACKGROUND

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most common paediatric malignancy in the world. Advances in treatment protocols have resulted in survival rates of >80% in most high-income countries (HIC); however, children and young people (CYP) with ALL continue to face significant nutrition-related challenges during treatment.

METHODS

This narrative review outlines the changing landscape of treatment and survivorship for CYP with ALL and the advances in nutrition knowledge that call for changes to clinical nutrition practice.

RESULTS

The incidence of ALL has remained stable in HIC; however, there have been significant advances in survival over the past 30 years. Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent in CYP with ALL at diagnosis, during treatment and in survivorship. Coupled with poor diet quality, high-energy and saturated fat intakes, altered eating behaviours and inactivity, this necessitates the need for a shift in nutrition intervention. Undernutrition remains a concern for CYP with high-risk treatment protocols where oral or enteral nutrition support remains a cornerstone of maintaining nutrition status.

CONCLUSIONS

With improved treatment protocols and high survival rates, a shift to focusing on diet quality, prevention of excessive weight gain and obesity during treatment and survivorship is necessary.

Sarcopenia in long-term survivors of cancer in childhood and adolescence: A cross-sectional study of calf muscle mass by peripheral quantitative computed tomography with an examination of the muscle-bone unit

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia, a loss of systemic skeletal muscle mass (SMM), is prevalent in childhood cancer survivors and often accompanied by increased fat mass (sarcopenic obesity [SO]). We examined whether calf muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), can identify sarcopenia and SO in long-term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and explored its relationship with adjacent bone geometry.

PROCEDURES

Calf muscle CSA and CSA Z scores at the 38% tibia in 70 subjects (median survival 15 years) were compared between sexes and ALL risk group, and their association with sarcopenia and SO evaluated. Relationships between bone strength and muscle mass were assessed further using linear regression and methods described by Schoenau et al. for evaluation of a functional muscle-bone unit.

RESULTS

A calf muscle CSA Z score of less than or equal to zero is 73.81% sensitive and 84.62% specific for detecting sarcopenia defined by height-adjusted appendicular lean mass measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. No significant difference in CSA Z scores was noted between sexes or ALL risk groups; however, Z scores were markedly higher in those without SO (adjusted odds ratio 0.529, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.340-0.824). Ratios of calf muscle mass to height and total bone mineral content at the 38% tibia are "sufficient" and consistent with estimated reference ranges for a healthy population.

CONCLUSIONS

CSA Z scores may represent a useful clinical measure of SMM and are predictive of SO in this population. Our results are supportive of a functional muscle-bone unit in long-term survivors of pediatric ALL.

Detecting Sarcopenic Obesity in Survivors of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: An Exploration of Body Mass Index and Triponderal Mass Index as Potential Surrogate Markers

Survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) often have altered body composition secondary to treatment effects, including sarcopenic obesity (SO), which increases the risk of both metabolic complications and frailty. SO is difficult to detect without using advanced imaging techniques to which access is often limited. To explore whether common clinical indices can reliably identify the presence of SO in a cohort of long-term survivors of ALL, the discriminatory capacity of body mass index (BMI) or triponderal mass index (TMI, kg/m 3 ) for detecting SO was assessed. Thresholds of BMI and TMI associated with overweight or obesity status had poor sensitivity (<50%) and specificity for detecting SO. Total misclassification rates at these thresholds exceeded 50% and positive likelihood ratios were nonsignificant. Notably, TMI is more strongly correlated with elevated adiposity than is BMI in this survivor population ( R2 =0.73 vs. 0.57), suggesting further exploration is warranted. Our study is limited by the sample size, precluding detailed regression analysis. This study highlights the challenges of identifying SO in survivors of pediatric ALL using common clinical indices. Prospective evaluation of additional potential surrogate markers in survivors, in conjunction with the component features of SO, should be a key focus of future research.

The Influence of Body Composition on Bone Health in Long-term Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Childhood and Adolescence: Analyses by Dual-energy Radiograph Absorptiometry and Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography

BACKGROUND

The normal interrelationship of body composition with bone health is less clear in the context of disease. Survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) exhibit sarcopenic obesity and osteopenia. The impact of body composition on bone health in such survivors was examined.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Survivors of ALL (N=74), >10 years from diagnosis, underwent dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry and peripheral quantitative computed tomography.

RESULTS

Whole-body bone mineral content (WB BMC) Z scores were greater in males than females, but WB BMC indices (WB BMC/height 2 ) were comparable (0.74±0.125 and 0.72±0.069, respectively). WB BMC index (I) and fat-free mass index correlated significantly with trabecular bone mineral density, only in males. Fat mass index and appendicular lean mass index showed no such correlations. WB BMCI and fat-free mass index also correlated, again predominantly in males, with measures of strength in both trabecular and cortical bone. WB BMCI also correlated strongly with trabecular number, thickness, and hole size, also only in males.

CONCLUSIONS

The results point to the need for enhancing muscle mass, measured by appendicular lean mass index, while reducing fat mass and maintaining good bone mineralization in long-term survivors of ALL to ensure the integrity of healthy bones.

Bone health in long-term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. An assessment by peripheral quantitative computed tomography

BACKGROUND

Loss of bone mineral is a common concomitant of the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) due mainly to chemotherapy, especially with corticosteroids. Osteopenia/osteoporosis may be encountered long into survivorship. Measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is limited to two-dimensionality and cannot distinguish trabecular from cortical bone.

METHODS

A sample of 74 subjects, ages 13.5-38.3 years more than 10 years from diagnosis, underwent peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) at metaphyseal (trabecular bone) and diaphyseal (cortical bone) sites in the radius and tibia. pQCT provides three-dimensional assessment of bone geometry, density, and architecture.

RESULTS

Average values in multiple metrics were similar to those in healthy individuals, but deficits in both trabecular and cortical bones were revealed by lower Z scores using an ethnically comparable sample of healthy individuals. Connectivity, a measure of bone architecture and a surrogate measure of bone strength, was lower in females than males. Survivors of standard-risk ALL had greater connectivity in and more compact trabecular bone than high-risk survivors who had received more intensive osteotoxic chemotherapy. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the metrics at any of the sites between subjects who had or had not a history of fracture, cranial irradiation, or use of a bisphosphonate.

CONCLUSIONS

These long-term survivors of ALL have somewhat compromised bone health, but data in comparable healthy populations are limited. Longitudinal studies in larger and more ethnically diverse cohorts will provide greater insight into bone health in this vulnerable population.

Early extrapulmonary prognostic features in chest computed tomography in COVID-19 pneumonia: Bone mineral density is a relevant predictor for the clinical outcome - A multicenter feasibility study

BACKGROUND

Besides throat-nose swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR), unenhanced chest computed tomography (CT) is a recommended diagnostic tool for early detection and quantification of pulmonary changes in COVID-19 pneumonia caused by the novel corona virus. Demographic factors, especially age and comorbidities, are major determinants of the outcome in COVID-19 infection. This study examines the extra pulmonary parameter of bone mineral density (BMD) from an initial chest computed tomography as an associated variable of pre-existing comorbidities like chronic lung disease or demographic factors to determine the later patient's outcome, in particular whether treatment on an intensive care unit (ICU) was necessary in infected patients.

METHODS

We analyzed 58 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infections that received an unenhanced CT at admission at one of the included centers. In addition to the extent of pulmonary involvement, we performed a phantomless assessment of bone mineral density of thoracic vertebra 9-12.

RESULTS

In a univariate regression analysis BMD was found to be a significant predictor of the necessity for intensive care unit treatment of COVID-19 patients. In the subgroup requiring intensive care treatment within the follow-up period a significantly lower BMD was found. In a multivariate logistic regression model considering gender, age and CT measurements of bone mineral density, BMD was eliminated from the regression analysis as a significant predictor.

CONCLUSION

Phantomless assessed BMD provides prognostic information on the necessity for ICU treatment in course of COVID-19 pneumonia. We recommend using the measurement of BMD in an initial CT image to facilitate a potentially better prediction of severe patient outcomes within the 22 days after an initial CT scan. Consequently, in the present sample, additional bone density analysis did not result in a prognostic advantage over simply considering age. Significantly larger patient cohorts with a more homogenous patient age should be performed in the future to illustrate potential effects.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

While clinical capacities such as ICU beds and ventilators are more crucial than ever to help manage the current global corona pandemic, this work introduces an approach that can be used in a cost-effective way to help determine the amount of these rare clinical resources required in the near future.

Relationships of Bone Mineral Density to Whole Body Mass, Fat Mass and Fat-free Mass in Long-term Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Childhood

Body size influences bone mineral density (BMD) in health. Relationships of BMD with body mass index, fat mass (FM), fat-free mass, and appendicular lean mass were explored in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors (n=75; 41 males; 45 standard risk ALL) >10 years from diagnosis. Dual energy radiograph absorptiometry performed body composition analysis. Relationships were assessed by regression analyses and Pearson correlation coefficients (r). Twenty subjects (26.3%) were osteopenic; lumbar spine (LS) BMD Z score <-1.00. Age at diagnosis, sex, ALL risk-category, type of post-induction steroid or cranial radiation did not correlate with LS or whole body (WB) BMD. Body mass index correlated significantly with LS BMD (r=0.333, P=0.004) and WB BMD (r=0.271, P=0.033). FM index (FM/height²) Z score showed no significant correlation with LS or WB BMD. Fat-free mass index Z score correlated strongly with LS BMD (r=0.386, P=0.013) and WB BMD (r=0.605, P<0.001) in males but not in females. The appendicular lean mass index, a surrogate for skeletal muscle mass, correlated significantly with LS BMD (r=0.367, P=0.018) and WB BMD (r=0.604, P<0.001) in males but not in females. Future studies to evaluate interventions to enhance BMD focused on improving body composition particularly skeletal muscle mass are warranted.

A prospective study on changes in body composition and fat percentage during the first year of cancer treatment in children

BACKGROUNDS/OBJECTIVES

Cancer treatment may lead to significant body composition changes and affect growth and disease outcomes in pediatric cancer patients. This prospective study aimed to evaluate short- and long-term body compositions changes focused on body fat during the first year of cancer treatment in children.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

A prospective study was conducted in 30 pediatric cancer patients (19 hematologic malignancies and 11 solid tumors) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Anthropometric measurements and body composition analysis using whole body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were performed at baseline and 1, 6, and 12 month(s) of cancer treatment. Kruskal-Wallis tests, Wilcoxon paired t tests, and generalized estimation equation (GEE) were applied for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

At baseline, no differences in weight, height, body mass index, abdominal circumferences, body fat, and fat-free mass were observed between 30 controls and 30 pediatric cancer patients. Total fat mass (P < 0.001) and body fat percentage (P = 0.002) increased significantly during the first month, but no changes were observed from 1 to 12 months; however, no changes in the total mass were observed during the first year of cancer treatment. Meanwhile, the total fat-free mass decreased during the first month (P = 0.008) and recovered between 6 and 12 months of follow-up (P < 0.001). According to GEE analysis, there was a significant upward trend in body fat percentage during the first year, especially the first month, of cancer treatment in children with hematologic malignancies, but not in those with solid tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that cancer treatment is related to significant body composition changes and rapid body fat gain, particularly during the first month after initiating cancer treatment, in children with hematologic malignancies. Therefore, individualized dietary strategies to prevent excessive fat gain are needed in pediatric cancer patients for better outcomes.

Nutritional status and clinical outcomes in pediatric patients with solid tumors : A systematic review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Nutritional status (NS), defined by undernutrition (body mass index [BMI] <5th percentile) or overnutrition (BMI  ≥ 85th percentile), is a poor prognostic indicator in pediatric oncology patients. The impact of NS has been primarily studied in hematologic malignancies. This review is intended to summarize literature reporting on the association of NS and treatment-related outcomes in pediatric solid tumors.

METHODS

We searched four electronic databases from inception through August 2018 without language restriction, and included studies of children with cancers arising from renal, bone, liver, eye, muscle, vascular, germ cell, and neural crest tissues, reporting on NS as a predictor for toxicity, survival or relapse. Due to data heterogeneity and limited availability of studies, formal statistical analysis was not achievable. Descriptive statistics were summarized in table format.

RESULTS

Of 8,991 reports identified, 75 full-text articles were evaluated, 10 of which met inclusion criteria. Up to 62% of patients were over- or undernourished at diagnosis. Abnormal BMI was associated with worse overall survival in Ewing sarcoma (hazard ratio (HR): 3.46, P = .022), osteosarcoma (HR: 1.6, P < .005), and a trend toward poorer overall survival in rhabdomyosarcoma (HR: 1.70, P = .0596). High BMI in osteosarcoma was associated with increased nephrotoxicity (odds ratio: 2.8, P = .01) and postoperative complications. NS was not a significant predictor of outcomes in other included disease categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing literature supports the prognostic significance of NS in pediatric solid tumor patients and underscores the need for prospective studies to better elucidate underlying physiological changes in this population.

Impact of short stature on health-related quality of life in long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood and adolescence

Purpose

Some survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in childhood and adolescence exhibit short stature, especially if their treatment included cranial irradiation. The impact of this outcome on health-related quality of life (HRQL) is uncertain and so formed the basis for the investigation reported here.

Methods

This study examined the association between self-reported HRQL and measured height in a cohort (n = 75) of survivors of ALL more than 10 years from diagnosis. HRQL was expressed as utility scores generated from a multi-attribute preference-based measure, the Health Utilities Index (HUI) which includes the complementary systems HUI2 and HUI3. For single attributes the range is from 1.00 (no limitations) to 0.00 (lowest level of function). For overall HRQL the range is 1.00 (perfect health) to 0.00 (equivalent to being dead). A negative score is associated with states of health worse than being dead.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in overall HRQL between subjects <25th (n = 16, 21%), 15th (n = 11, 15%) and 10th (n = 10, 13%) centiles. A greater amount of emotional morbidity, focused on anger and depression, was manifest in those <25th and 15th centiles, with clinically important differences of 0.07 (p = 0.03) and 0.077 (p = 0.016) respectively, but not in the shortest group who were < 10th centile.

Conclusions

Studies in large cohorts of young adults in the general population has reported an inconsistent relationship between height and HRQL. Results from the current study suggest that no such relationship exists in long-term survivors of ALL in childhood and adolescence.

Limitations of body mass index to assess body composition due to sarcopenic obesity during leukemia therapy

Obesity as defined by body mass index percentile (BMI%) is strongly associated with relapse and poorer survival in childhood ALL. Whether BMI% accurately reflects body fat percentage (BF%) in this population is unknown. We conducted a prospective study assessing body composition during frontline ALL therapy. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured BF% and lean muscle mass (LMM) at diagnosis, end of Induction, and end of Delayed Intensification. Sarcopenic obesity (gain in BF% with loss of LMM) was surprisingly common during ALL treatment, resulting in poor correlation between changes in BMI% (expressed as Z-score) and BF% overall (r = -0.05) and within patients (r = -0.09). BMI Z-score and BF% changed in opposite directions in >50% of interval assessments. While BMI% at diagnosis is a suitable predictor of obesity/BF% for epidemiological studies, change in BMI% (as expressed as Z-score) does not reflect body composition. Studies evaluating obesity in leukemia should consider using direct measures of body composition.

Physical Activity in Long-term Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Childhood and Adolescence: A Cross-sectional Cohort Study

Inadequate physical activity (PA) and elevated overweight/obesity (OW/OB) rates are common in survivors of cancer in childhood, especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Bony morbidity, including fractures, is also prevalent among survivors of ALL. This study examined the interrelationships of PA, measured in hours by the Habitual Activity Estimation Scale; OW/OG, defined by body mass index; and fractures (yes/no) in survivors of ALL (n=75) more than 10 years after diagnosis. All had been treated using protocols of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Childhood ALL Consortium. The median age was 21.15 years and time from diagnosis 15.07 years, and 27 subjects had experienced fractures. More than 30% of the total sample were OW/OB. There was no correlation of body mass index with present PA. There were no significant differences between those with/without fractures in terms of age, sex, time from diagnosis, and the prevalence of OW/OB. Subjects with fractures during treatment reported more total activity on typical weekend days than those without fractures (mean 8.8 vs. 6.9 h, P<0.01). There was no significant difference on weekdays. Higher activity on weekends suggests that fractures may have occurred more commonly in those who had a more active lifestyle before, during, and after treatment.

Health-related quality of life in long-term survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood and adolescence

PURPOSE

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the commonest form of cancer in this age group, suffer considerable morbidity during treatment, with the majority returning to good health soon after therapy has been completed, as reflected in health-related quality of life (HRQL). However, survivors are at risk of many adverse health outcomes later, including obesity, measured by body mass index (BMI), that is compounded by limited physical activity. This study examined the HRQL of long-term survivors of ALL and its relationship to BMI and physical activity.

METHODS

A cohort of 75 subjects who were more than 10 years from diagnosis was assessed for BMI (weight in kg/height in m²) and completed two questionnaires. HRQL was measured by the multi-attribute, preference-based Health Utilities Index (HUI) instrument HUI23S4.15Q designed for self-report, and physical activity was quantified by the Habitual Activity Estimation Scale.

RESULTS

The mean utility scores for overall HRQL (HUI2 = 0.88, HUI3 = 0.83) were similar to those in the Canadian and US general population segments of equivalent age (HUI2 = 0.86, HUI3 = 0.85). However, the minimum scores (HUI2 = 0.23, HUI3 = -0.09) revealed a group of survivors with notable disabilities in the attributes of hearing, emotion, cognition, and pain. There were no statistically significant correlations between HRQL and BMI or between HRQL and physical activity, except for deafness and inactivity on weekdays.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, long-term survivors of ALL in childhood enjoy good HRQL but some experience appreciable disability, though this is not associated with BMI or, in the main, with physical activity.