Obesity May Lead to Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma Relapse

A recent study discovered a relationship between obesity and pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma relapse.

Researchers used advanced imaging methods to evaluate obesity and determine if there was a link between that and disease relapse. During the study, researchers used 101 pediatric patients who were enrolled in the Children’s Oncology Group clinical Trial AHODOO31 and analyzed computed tomography (CT) scans for fat components and lean muscle mass.

The results of the study found that patients who had symptoms of night sweats, fevers, and weight loss related to disease-specific cytokines at diagnosis saw a reduction in muscle mass.

Patients with increased fat deposits consistent with obesity experienced disease relapse.

“Body mass index is a crude measure of obesity, and the actual measurement may be obscured by disease-related weight loss,” said senior study author Kara Kelly, MD. “Using imaging methods to evaluate body fat may allow for better determination of at-risk patients. This study also indicates a need for further study of nutritional interventions to reduce the risk of fat deposits over the course of treatment and their impact on survival among Hodgkin lymphoma pediatric patients.”

The findings were presented at The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.