Oncology · Pediatrics · 3 h ago
Cardiometabolic diagnoses elevated in five-year pediatric ALL survivors
A retrospective population-based cohort study compared 142 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors with 426 matched cancer-free peers during the fifth year after diagnosis. Claims-based cardiometabolic diagnoses were more common among survivors, particularly among those aged 14 years or older.
- Cardiometabolic diagnoses affected 10.6% of survivors.
- Hypertension and diabetes were each recorded in 4.9%.
- Among survivors aged 14 or older, prevalence was 20.4%.
- Claims data cannot capture undiagnosed conditions.
Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked Arkansas cancer-registry and all-payer claims data. The analysis included people diagnosed with ALL before age 25 who survived to five years after diagnosis, matched with three cancer-free peers each on demographic and socioeconomic factors and county of residence. Outcomes were cardiometabolic conditions identified through claims-based diagnoses.
At five years, 10.6% of ALL survivors had at least one cardiometabolic condition, compared with 1.2% of matched peers (p<0.01). Hypertension was recorded in 4.9% versus 0.9%, and diabetes in 4.9% versus 0.2% (both p<0.01). Among survivors aged 14 years or older, 20.4% had at least one condition, compared with 2.0% of controls (p<0.01).
The findings indicate that cardiometabolic diagnoses may emerge early in survivorship, with a larger observed burden among adolescents and older participants. The study was limited to 142 survivors in Arkansas and relied on claims diagnoses, which may not capture undiagnosed disease; it establishes differences in prevalence, not their causes or the effectiveness of screening strategies.
In practice
For clinicians caring for pediatric and young adult ALL survivors, this cohort suggests cardiometabolic diagnoses can be present by five years after diagnosis: 10.6% of survivors had at least one recorded condition versus 1.2% of matched peers, with higher prevalence among those aged 14 or older. The findings support attention to cardiometabolic health in survivorship care, but do not establish an effective screening schedule or demonstrate that ALL treatment caused the diagnoses. The analysis included 142 Arkansas survivors and used claims, so undiagnosed conditions may have been missed.
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Pediatric Blood & Cancer: Population‐Based Assessment of Cardiometabolic Late Effects in 5‐Year Survivors of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.