Assessment of longitudinal changes in body composition of children with lymphoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND

Studies examining changes in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue during treatment for cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults and their effect on the risk of chemotherapy toxicity (chemotoxicity) are limited.

METHODS

Among 78 patients with lymphoma (79.5%) and rhabdomyosarcoma (20.5%), changes were measured in skeletal muscle (skeletal muscle index [SMI]; skeletal muscle density [SMD]) and adipose tissue (height-adjusted total adipose tissue [hTAT]) between baseline and first subsequent computed tomography scans at the third lumbar vertebral level by using commercially available software. Body mass index (BMI; operationalized as a percentile [BMI%ile]) and body surface area (BSA) were examined at each time point. The association of changes in body composition with chemotoxicities was examined by using linear regression.

RESULTS

The median age at cancer diagnosis of this cohort (62.8% male; 55.1% non-Hispanic White) was 12.7 years (2.5-21.1 years). The median time between scans was 48 days (range, 8-207 days). By adjusting for demographics and disease characteristics, this study found that patients undergo a significant decline in SMD (β ± standard error [SE] = -4.1 ± 1.4; p < .01). No significant changes in SMI (β ± SE = -0.5 ± 1.0; p = .7), hTAT (β ± SE = 5.5 ± 3.9; p = .2), BMI% (β ± SE = 4.1 ± 4.8; p = .3), or BSA (β ± SE = -0.02 ± 0.01; p = .3) were observed. Decline in SMD (per Hounsfield unit) was associated with a greater proportion of chemotherapy cycles with grade ≥3 nonhematologic toxicity (β ± SE = 1.09 ± 0.51; p = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that children, adolescents, and young adults with lymphoma and rhabdomyosarcoma undergo a decline in SMD early during treatment, which is associated with a risk of chemotoxicities. Future studies should focus on interventions designed at preventing the loss of muscle during treatment.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

We show that among children, adolescents, and young adults with lymphoma and rhabdomyosarcoma receiving chemotherapy, skeletal muscle density declines early during treatment. Additionally, a decline in skeletal muscle density is associated with a greater risk of nonhematologic chemotoxicities.