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Cancer Resources > Cancer News > Cancer News from Reuters > Reuters Cancer News > 2007 > June
Obesity tied to poorer outlook in pediatric leukemia
David Douglas
Last Updated: 2007-06-11 8:59:08 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and a high body mass index at the time of diagnosis are at increased risk of relapse and other untoward events, according to researchers.
Lead investigator Dr. Anna M. Butturini told Reuters Health that "obesity is associated with lower probability of cure in pre-adolescents and teenagers with ALL." Moreover, she added, "A current analysis suggests that that same is true in adults with the same disease."
As Dr. Butturini of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and colleagues report in the May 20th issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, they retrospectively analyzed data from 4260 young patients with newly diagnosed ALL enrolled in five concurrent studies. Results were verified in a second cohort of 1733 patients enrolled in a sixth study.
The initial cohort consisted of 343 obese and 3917 non-obese patients. After adjustment, the hazard ratio for events such as toxicity was 1.36 in the obese patients. For relapse, their hazard ratio was 1.29. The effects were more marked in those aged 10 years or more and the findings overall were similar in the second cohort.
At one time, "obesity in cancer was rare," Dr. Butturini pointed out. "Now a large proportion of our patients are obese and we must face the challenge they present."
She added, "The mechanisms underlying the effect of obesity on outcome of ALL are probably more complex than just differences in pharmacokinetics between obese and non-obese individuals."
A better understanding of why obese patients with ALL are at increased risk of relapse, Dr. Butturini concluded, "will likely help us to design better therapies for both obese and non-obese patients."
J Clin Oncol;25:2063-2069.
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