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Incidence and clinical relevance of abnormal complete blood counts in long-term survivors of childhood cancer.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Long, ZB; Oeffinger, KC; Brooks, SL; Fischbach, L; Harris, TR; Eshelman, DA; Tomlinson, GE; Buchanan, GR
Published in: Cancer
April 1, 2006

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to determine the incidence and clinical significance of abnormal complete blood counts (CBCs) obtained during follow-up of childhood cancer survivors. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 193 survivors, diagnosed between 1970-1986, who were followed in our center's After Cancer Experience Program and are participants in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Of these patients, 49% were female and 25% were racial/ethnic minorities. The primary outcome was determination of the cumulative percentage of patients having an abnormal CBC by 2 or 3 standard deviations (SDs). Four components of the CBC were examined and employed to define an abnormal CBC: low white blood cell count (WBC), high mean corpuscular volume (MCV), low platelet count, and low hemoglobin concentration. Association of treatment exposures to abnormal values was assessed with a multilevel logistic model. RESULTS: There were 1297 patient visits during 1401 person-years of follow-up. The mean number of visits per survivor was 6.7 (SD 4.2). The cumulative percentage of subjects with at least one abnormal CBC was 70%. The cumulative percent of subjects with a value abnormal by 2 SD was WBC = 23%, MCV = 37%, platelets = 9%, hemoglobin = 49%. For values abnormal by 3 SD, the frequencies were WBC = 3%, MCV = 20%, platelets = 1%, hemoglobin = 27%. None of the patients developed myelodysplastic syndrome or a secondary leukemia during the follow-up period. Exposure to epipodophyllotoxins was associated with an increased risk of having abnormally high MCV values. CONCLUSIONS: Mildly abnormal CBC values are common in survivors of childhood cancer. Abnormal values are often of questionable significance but seem to persist over time. Epipodophyllotoxin therapy was found to be associated with increased frequency of high MCV levels.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Cancer

DOI

ISSN

0008-543X

Publication Date

April 1, 2006

Volume

106

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1634 / 1640

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Survivors
  • Prognosis
  • Podophyllotoxin
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Incidence
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Long, Z. B., Oeffinger, K. C., Brooks, S. L., Fischbach, L., Harris, T. R., Eshelman, D. A., … Buchanan, G. R. (2006). Incidence and clinical relevance of abnormal complete blood counts in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. Cancer, 106(7), 1634–1640. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.21771
Long, Zsofia B., Kevin C. Oeffinger, Sandra L. Brooks, Lori Fischbach, T Robert Harris, Debra A. Eshelman, Gail E. Tomlinson, and George R. Buchanan. “Incidence and clinical relevance of abnormal complete blood counts in long-term survivors of childhood cancer.Cancer 106, no. 7 (April 1, 2006): 1634–40. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.21771.
Long ZB, Oeffinger KC, Brooks SL, Fischbach L, Harris TR, Eshelman DA, et al. Incidence and clinical relevance of abnormal complete blood counts in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. Cancer. 2006 Apr 1;106(7):1634–40.
Long, Zsofia B., et al. “Incidence and clinical relevance of abnormal complete blood counts in long-term survivors of childhood cancer.Cancer, vol. 106, no. 7, Apr. 2006, pp. 1634–40. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/cncr.21771.
Long ZB, Oeffinger KC, Brooks SL, Fischbach L, Harris TR, Eshelman DA, Tomlinson GE, Buchanan GR. Incidence and clinical relevance of abnormal complete blood counts in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. Cancer. 2006 Apr 1;106(7):1634–1640.
Journal cover image

Published In

Cancer

DOI

ISSN

0008-543X

Publication Date

April 1, 2006

Volume

106

Issue

7

Start / End Page

1634 / 1640

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Survivors
  • Prognosis
  • Podophyllotoxin
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms
  • Male
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant
  • Incidence
  • Humans