ABSTRACT
Early and late effects of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on weight was retrospectively investigated in 113 children in continuous first remission. Weight was examined at diagnosis up to 10 y after cessation of treatment. There was an increased prevalence of overweight after treatment for ALL which persisted over time. All treatment regimens included corticosteroid therapy, and 52 patients received additional cranial irradiation. Patients treated with and without cranial irradiation did not differ in weight gain, indicating that not cranial irradiation but corticosteroid therapy might explain weight gain in children treated for ALL. Dexamethasone was associated with a significant increase of weight at cessation of treatment. Patients treated with a combination of prednisone and dexamethasone had as a late effect the highest prevalence of obesity (44%). Gender or age at diagnosis were not related to weight gain.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal/adverse effects , Dexamethasone/adverse effects , Glucocorticoids/adverse effects , Obesity/chemically induced , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/therapy , Prednisone/adverse effects , Adolescent , Age Factors , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/complications , Remission Induction , Retrospective Studies , Sex Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
18 children, 12 boys and 6 girls, were treated in our hospital for rhabdomyosarcoma of the urogenital tract between 1970 and 1980. This period saw a gradual change in the therapeutic approach to this disease as new therapeutic modalities became available. 7 of the patients (39%) died of the disease which, in 5 of them, arose from the prostate. The surviving children have no evidence of recurrent disease, although 1 is still undergoing chemotherapy. Surgical intervention was always required. To date, chemotherapy alone, or in combination with radiation, has not sufficed in our management of rhabdomyosarcoma of the urogenital tract.
Subject(s)
Rhabdomyosarcoma/therapy , Urogenital Neoplasms/therapy , Adolescent , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Prostatic Neoplasms/therapy , Rhabdomyosarcoma/surgery , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/therapy , Urogenital Neoplasms/surgery , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/therapy , Vaginal Neoplasms/therapyABSTRACT
Prognosis of childhood ALL has considerably improved during the last two decades, due to both effective treatment and advances in supportive care. Prevention and treatment of infections, blood component therapy, toxicity of chemotherapy, nutritional support, control of pain and psychosocial care are successively discussed.
