In Pediatric Leukemia, Survival Linked to Duration of Overweight, Obesity
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- For children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), longer duration of overweight or obesity is associated with lower overall and event-free survival, according to a study published online May 14 in JAMA Network Open.
Elena J. Ladas, Ph.D., R.D., from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues examined the association of the duration of overweight or obesity with treatment-related toxic effects, minimal residual disease, relapse, and survival in childhood ALL in a prospective study. Fluctuations in z scores of body mass index for age from diagnosis to end of treatment (EOT) were examined in 794 children (mean age at diagnosis, 6.7 years).
The researchers found an increase in the prevalence of overweight or obesity from diagnosis to EOT, from 29.5 to 48.4 percent. There was no association for having overweight or obesity at baseline or developing overweight or obesity during induction with treatment-related toxic effects or higher minimal residual disease. Compared with children with overweight or obesity at no more than one time point, those with overweight or obesity at two or more time points experienced inferior overall survival, increased relapse, and lower event-free survival. Among children with overweight or obesity at two or more time points, there was an association with an increased risk for death and relapse (hazard ratios, 3.49 and 1.92, respectively).
“Treatment for obesity is evolving, and our study highlights the importance of working closely with children and their families to provide comprehensive care -- whether by treating obesity during therapy or preventing it altogether,” Ladas said in a statement. “Our findings support a new clinical approach that includes proactive nutrition therapy for children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.”
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
Read this next
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Not Linked to Increased Risk of Psychiatric Adverse Events, Depression
MONDAY, May 19, 2025 -- For patients with overweight/obesity and/or diabetes, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) treatment is not associated with an increased...
Risk of Obesity-Related Cancer Similar for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Bariatric Surgery
THURSDAY, May 15, 2025 -- Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may cut the risk of obesity-related cancer (ORC) in patients being treated for diabetes and...
Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Increased in Adolescents From 2021 to 2023
WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025 -- Despite the approval of second-generation antiobesity medications, metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) use among U.S. adolescents increased from 2021...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.