Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Children and Adolescents With Malignancies

University of Hohenheim135 enrolled

Overview

The main objective of this study was the assessment of the nutritional status of children and adolescents aged between 0-18 with malignancies based on BMI percentiles and standard deviation scores, at diagnosis, during treatment and during a period of two years after the end of therapy.

Children and adolescents suffering from malignancies often show malnutrition. Malnutrition, defined as a deficiency or an excess of energy, is associated with an increased risk of comorbidities, reduced survival rates, higher relapse rates, and worse treatment response. The present retrospective study assessed the nutritional status of children and adolescents, suffering from nine different kinds of cancer, based on BMI percentiles and standard deviation scores. Anthropometric data were recorded from clinical charts and an assessment of the nutritional status was made at the beginning of treatment, during the course of therapy and during a follow-up period of two years. The influence of treatment-related characteristics, the duration of therapy, and the occurrence of a relapse or progress during therapy on the nutritional status were examined.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

135

Conditions

Malnutrition

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMax age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * children and adolescents treated at the Olgahospital Stuttgart for one of the nine different cancer types * treated according to a study protocol of the Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (GPOH), with modifications only allowed within the therapeutic protocol * time period between diagnosis and start of treatment less than 28 days * age younger than 18 Exclusion Criteria: * severe underlying disease, which exerts a strong influence on weight and/or height * patients whose clinical record does not state any weight and/or height * diseases which are not considered as malignant because of the state or biology

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Nutritional status at diagnosis

To assess the nutritional status height and weight were recorded from patient charts to calculate the BMI percentile (Body Mass Index percentile) and the BMI-SDS (Body Mass Index-Standard Deviation Score)

Time frame: Within the month of diagnosis

Change in nutritional status during treatment

To assess the nutritional status height and weight were recorded from patient charts to calculate the BMI percentile and the BMI-SDS

Time frame: Every month during the treatment period (average treatment period 11 months)

Change in nutritional status during follow-up

To assess the nutritional status height and weight were recorded from patient chart to calculate the BMI percentile and the BMI-SDS

Time frame: Once in a period of three months during two years follow-up

Secondary Outcomes

Clinical picture

Kind of cancer (lymphoma, germ cell tumor, nephroblastoma, soft tissue sarcoma, neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma, brain tumor, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML)), recorded from patient chart

Time frame: Within the month of diagnosis

Age (years)

Age in years, recorded from patient chart

Time frame: Within the month of diagnosis

Treatment period (months)

Time from start until the end of treatment, recorded from patient chart

Time frame: Patients were followed for the duration of their treatment period. Average treatment period 11 months

Incidence of nutritional interventions

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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