Hepatic late effects of radio-chemotherapy in pediatric Hodgkin’s Lymphoma [HL]

Abstract EN

To identify the hepatic long-term effect of radio-chemotherapy in childhood and adolescence Hodgkin’s disease (HD) patients regularly attending the pediatric oncology clinic of National Cancer Institute (NCI), 42 long-term survivors (LTS) were studied, together with 26 newly-diagnosed (ND) HD patients and 28 healthy controls.

During 3 years period, all patients subjected to thorough clinical history/ examination.

Files of LTS were revised for date of diagnoses, original site(s), stage, histopathological subtypes and dose/ duration of therapy.

Clinical examination was done with laying stress on blood pressure, visceromegaly and the presence of lymphadenopathy.

Lab investigations included CBC, ESR, bone marrow biopsy, liver function tests and Liver biopsy.

Radiodiagnostic studies were done whenever indicated.

ESR and anemia were significantly higher in ND patients.

Serum alkaline phosphatase enzyme was significantly higher in LTS and ND patients, compared to the controls.

Finally, the study documented that there is increased serum alkaline phosphatase enzyme and anemia as a long-term complications of radio-chemotherapy in survivors HD patients.

Recommendations regarding the comprehensive follow-up of therapy for HD were discussed.

Well-Designed studies are needed to reliably evaluate the prevalence of, and risk factors for, hepatic late adverse effects after antineoplastic treatment for childhood cancer.