A Population-Based Study of Childhood Cancer Survivors’ Body Mass Index

Abstract EN

Background.

Population-based studies are needed to estimate the prevalence of underweight or overweight/obese childhood cancer survivors.

Procedure.

Adult survivors (diagnosed ≤20 years) were identified from the linked Utah Cancer Registry and Utah Population Database.

We included survivors currently aged ≥20 years and ≥5 years from diagnosis (N=1060), and a comparison cohort selected on birth year and sex (N=5410).

BMI was calculated from driver license data available from 2000 to 2010.

Multivariable generalized linear regression models were used to calculate prevalence relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of BMI outcomes for survivors and the comparison cohort.

Results.

Average time since diagnosis was 18.5 years (SD=7.8), and mean age at BMI for both groups was 30.5 (survivors SD=7.7, comparison SD=8.0).

Considering all diagnoses, survivors were not at higher risk for being underweight or overweight/obese than the comparison.

Male central nervous system tumor survivors were overweight (RR=1.12, 95% CI 1.01–1.23) more often than the comparison.

Female survivors, who were diagnosed at age 10 and under, had a 10% higher risk of being obese than survivors diagnosed at ages 16–20 (P<0.05).

Conclusion.

While certain groups of childhood cancer survivors are at risk for being overweight/obese, in general they do not differ from population estimates.