[Post treatment thyroid dysfunction and obesity in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-hodgkin's lymphoma: a brief report]

ABSTRACT

In most children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia [ALL] and Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma [NHL] who have received chemotherapy with and without radiotherapy, some late effects due to treatment may occur such as endocrinopathies. We evaluated growth criteria [including short stature, obesity] and thyroid test function in 50 children with ALL [n=25] and NHL [n=25] 3-17 year-old in remission period who randomly received chemotherapy with [n=25] or without [n=25] radiation such as our treatment groups. The values for height, weight and BMI in less than 5[th] or more than 95[th] percentile considers abnormal. Six [12%] patients were in less than 5[th] percentile height [short stature]. Two patients [4.0%] had over-weight and 48 [96%] were in normal range of BMI. Six [12%] patients were in less than 5[th] and 3 [6%] were in more than 95[th] weight percentile. There was no significant difference between two different treatment groups for TSH [P=0.662] but there was a significant difference between these groups in case of T4 [P=0.049]. Mean and SD for T4 in patients with chemotherapy alone was less than in whom received chemotherapy plus radiotherapy. There was no significant difference between ALL and NHL groups for TSH, T4 [P=0.567, 0.528 respectively]. Two boys with ALL without history of radiation had hypothyroidism that had based on their laboratory data. Regarding to effects of thyroid dysfunction on short stature and obesity in adolescent with ALL and NHL, we suggest to have more attention about growth, thyroid test to avoid late side effect of malignancy treatment