Comparable effects of 1800- and 2400-rad (18- and 24-Gy) cranial irradiation on height and weight in children treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Am. J. Dis. Child.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.1987.04460050092038· OSTI ID:6497887

Starceski, P J; Lee, P A; Blatt, J; Finegold, D; Brown, D

To examine the effects of low-dose cranial irradiation on growth and to determine if one can predict patients in whom growth will be most affected, we studied 47 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia who had been treated with 2400 rad (24 Gy), 1800 rad (18 Gy), or no whole-brain irradiation. Serial measurements of height, weight, and weight for height were obtained by retrospective chart review. The effects of 1800 rad (18 Gy) and 2400 rad (24 Gy) treatment were indistinguishable. Height percentiles among irradiated patients decreased by a mean of 12% six months after diagnosis, and growth generally did not catch up. Moreover, although 33 irradiated patients maintained heights within the normal range, In 11 patients (33%) a dramatic falloff occurred such that by three years following diagnosis their height for age was more than 30 percentiles below the original value. These patients were all identifiable at six months since their height percentiles had already decreased by more than 15%. Although weight percentiles did not change following irradiation, the weight-for-height ratio increased and patients were relatively stockier three years after therapy than they had been at diagnosis. In patients who had received chemotherapy alone, the weight-for-height ratio also increased, but this appeared to be due to a disproportionate increase in weight. Longer follow-up and evaluation of larger cohorts of patients treated with 1800 rad (18 Gy) will be needed to confirm these results.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA
• OSTI ID: 6497887
• Journal Information: Am. J. Dis. Child.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Dis. Child.; (United States) Vol. 5; ISSN AJDCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE GROUPS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHILDREN
DISEASES
DOSES
GROWTH
HEMIC DISEASES
LEUKEMIA
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SIDE EFFECTS
THERAPY
WEIGHT