We aimed to characterize premature aging as an accumulation of deficits in survivors of pediatric cancer compared with community controls and examine associations with host and treatment factors, ...neurocognition, and mortality.
Pediatric cancer survivors (n = 4000, median age = 28.6, interquartile range IQR = 23-35 years; 20 years postdiagnosis: IQR = 15-27), and community participants without a history of cancer serving as controls (n = 638, median age = 32, IQR = 25-40 years) completed clinical assessments and questionnaires and were followed for mortality through April 30, 2020 (mean SD follow-up = 7.0 3.4 years). A deficit accumulation index (DAI) score was calculated from 44 aging-related items including self-reported daily function, psychosocial symptoms, and health conditions. Items were weighted from 0 (absent) to 1 (present and/or most severe), summed and divided by the total yielding a ratio (higher = more deficits). Scores less than 0.20 are robust, and 0.06 is a clinically meaningful difference. Linear regression compared the DAI in survivors and controls with an age*survivor or control interaction. Logistic regression and Cox-proportional hazards estimated the risk of neurocognitive impairment and death. Models were minimally adjusted for age, sex, and race and ethnicity.
The adjusted mean DAI among survivors at age 30 years was 0.16 corresponding to age 63 years in controls (33 years premature aging; β = 0.07, 95% confidence interval CI = 0.06 to 0.08; P < .001). Cranial and abdominal radiation, alkylators, platinum, and neurosurgery were associated with worse DAI (P ≤ .001). Higher scores were associated with increased risk of neurocognitive impairment in all domains (P < .001) and increased risk of death (DAI = 0.20-0.35, hazard ratio = 2.80, 95% CI = 1.97 to 3.98; DAI ≥ 0.35, hazard ratio = 5.08, 95% CI = 3.52 to 7.34).
Pediatric cancer survivors experience clinically significant premature aging. The DAI may be used to identify survivors at greatest risk of poor health outcomes.
The effect of the increasing lifetime burden of non-major cardiovascular conditions on risk for a subsequent major adverse cardiovascular event among survivors of childhood cancer has not been ...assessed. We aimed to characterise the prevalence of major adverse cardiovascular events and their association with the cumulative burden of non-major adverse cardiovascular events in childhood cancer survivors.
This is a longitudinal cohort study with participant data obtained from an ongoing cohort study at St Jude Children's Research Hospital: the St Jude Lifetime Cohort Study (SJLIFE). Prospective clinical follow-up was of 5-year survivors of childhood cancer who were diagnosed when aged younger than 25 years from 1962 to 2012. Age-frequency, sex-frequency, and race-frequency matched community-control participants completed a similar one-time clinical assessment. 22 cardiovascular events were graded using a St Jude Children's Research Hospital-modified version of the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.03). Cumulative incidence and burden of the primary outcome of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, stroke, and other cardiovascular-related mortality) were estimated. Rate ratios (RR) of the association of major adverse cardiovascular events with 22 non-major adverse cardiovascular events were estimated using multivariable piecewise-exponential regression adjusting for attained age, age at diagnosis, sex, race and ethnicity, treatment era, diagnosis of diabetes, and exposure to cardiotoxic cancer therapies. The St Jude Lifetime Cohort study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00760656, and is ongoing.
9602 5-year survivors of childhood cancer, and 737 community controls were included in the longitudinal follow-up (from Sept 13, 2007, to Dec 17, 2021). The median follow-up was 20·3 years (IQR 12·0–31·4) from the date of primary cancer diagnosis (4311 44.9% were females). By the age of 50 years (analysis stopped at age 50 years due to the low number of participants older than that age), the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events among survivors was 17·7% (95% CI 15·9–19·5) compared with 0·9% (0·0–2·1) in the community controls. The cumulative burden of major adverse cardiovascular events in survivors was 0·26 (95% CI 0·23–0·29) events per survivor compared with 0·009 (0·000–0·021) events per community control participant. Increasing cumulative burden of grade 1–4 non-major adverse cardiovascular events was associated with an increased future risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (one condition: RR 4·3, 95% CI 3·1–6·0; p<0·0001; two conditions: 6·6, 4·6–9·5; p<0·0001; and three conditions: 7·7, 5·1–11·4; p<0·0001). Increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events was observed with specific subclinical conditions (eg, grade 1 arrhythmias RR 1·5, 95% CI 1·2–2·0; p=0·0017), grade 2 left ventricular systolic dysfunction (2·2, 1·6–3·1; p<0·0001), grade 2 valvular disorders (2·2, 1·2–4·0; p=0·013), but not grade 1 hypercholesterolaemia, grade 1–2 hypertriglyceridaemia, or grade 1–2 vascular stenosis.
Among an ageing cohort of survivors of childhood cancer, the accumulation of non-major adverse cardiovascular events, including subclinical conditions, increased the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and should be the focus of interventions for early detection and prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events.
The US National Cancer Institute and the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities.
There is limited information on body composition, energy balance, and fitness among survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), especially those treated without cranial radiation ...therapy (CRT). This analysis compares these metrics among 365 ALL survivors with a mean age of 28.6 ± 5.9 years (149 treated with and 216 without CRT) and 365 age-, sex-, and race-matched peers. We also report risk factors for outcomes among survivors treated without CRT. Male survivors not exposed to CRT had abnormal body composition when compared with peers (% body fat, 26.2 ± 8.2 vs 22.7 ± 7.1). Survivors without CRT had similar energy balance but had significantly impaired quadriceps strength (−21.9 ± 6.0 Newton-meters Nm/kg, 60°/s) and endurance (−11.4 ± 4.6 Nm/kg, 300°/s), exercise capacity (−2.0 ± 2.1 ml/kg per minute), low-back and hamstring flexibility (−4.7 ± 1.6 cm), and dorsiflexion range of motion (−3.1 ± 0.9°) and higher modified total neuropathy scores (+1.6 ± 1.1) than peers. Cumulative asparaginase dose ≥120 000 IU/m2 was associated with impaired flexibility, vincristine dose ≥39 mg/m2 with peripheral neuropathy, glucocorticoid (prednisone equivalent) dose ≥8000 mg/m2 with hand weakness, and intrathecal methotrexate dose ≥225 mg with dorsiflexion weakness. Physical inactivity was associated with hand weakness and decreased exercise capacity. Smoking was associated with peripheral neuropathy. Elimination of CRT from ALL therapy has improved, but not eliminated, body-composition outcomes. Survivors remain at risk for impaired fitness.
•Elimination of cranial radiation from therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia has improved body-composition outcomes.•Survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated without cranial radiation remain at risk for impaired fitness.
To leverage baseline global longitudinal strain (GLS) and N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) to identify childhood cancer survivors with a normal left ventricular ejection fraction ...(LVEF) at highest risk of future treatment-related cardiomyopathy.
St Jude Lifetime Cohort participants ≥5 years from diagnosis, at increased risk for cardiomyopathy per the International Guideline Harmonization Group (IGHG), with an LVEF ≥50% on baseline echocardiography (n = 1,483) underwent measurement of GLS (n = 1,483) and NT-proBNP (n = 1,052; 71%). Multivariable Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for postbaseline cardiomyopathy (modified Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events ≥grade 2) incidence in association with echocardiogram-based GLS (≥-18) and/or NT-proBNP (>age-sex-specific 97.5th percentiles). Prediction performance was assessed using AUC in models with and without GLS and NT-proBNP and compared using DeLong's test for IGHG moderate- and high-risk individuals treated with anthracyclines.
Among survivors (median age, 37.6; range, 10.2-70.4 years), 162 (11.1%) developed ≥grade 2 cardiomyopathy 5.1 (0.7-10.0) years from baseline assessment. The 5-year cumulative incidence of cardiomyopathy for survivors with and without abnormal GLS was, respectively, 7.3% (95% CI, 4.7 to 9.9) versus 4.4% (95% CI, 3.0 to 5.7) and abnormal NT-proBNP was 9.9% (95% CI, 5.8 to 14.1) versus 4.7% (95% CI, 3.2 to 6.2). Among survivors with a normal LVEF, abnormal baseline GLS and NT-proBNP identified anthracycline-exposed, IGHG-defined moderate-/high-risk survivors at a four-fold increased hazard of postbaseline cardiomyopathy (HR, 4.39 95% CI, 2.46 to 7.83;
< .001), increasing to a HR of 14.16 (95% CI, 6.45 to 31.08;
< .001) among survivors who received ≥250 mg/m
of anthracyclines. Six years after baseline, AUCs for individual risk prediction were 0.70 for models with and 0.63 for models without GLS and NT-proBNP (
= .022).
GLS and NT-proBNP should be considered for improved identification of survivors at high risk for future cardiomyopathy.
Background
Survivors of childhood cancer exposed to cardiotoxic therapies are at significant cardiovascular risk. The utility of cardiac biomarkers for identifying the risk of future cardiomyopathy ...and mortality is unknown.
Methods
N‐terminal pro–B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) were assessed in 1213 adults 10 or more years from a childhood cancer diagnosis; 786 were exposed to anthracycline chemotherapy and/or chest‐directed radiation therapy (RT). NT‐proBNP values above age‐ and sex‐specific 97.5th percentiles were considered abnormal. Generalized linear models estimated cross‐sectional associations between abnormal NT‐proBNP and anthracycline or chest RT doses as risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A Poisson distribution estimated rates and a Cox proportional hazards model estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for future cardiac events and death.
Results
At a median age of 35.5 years (interquartile range, 29.8‐42.5 years), NT‐proBNP and cTnT were abnormal in 22.5% and 0.4%, respectively. Exposure to chest RT and exposure to anthracycline chemotherapy were each associated with a dose‐dependent increased risk for abnormal NT‐proBNP (P for trend <.0001). Among exposed survivors with no history of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events–graded cardiomyopathy and with normal systolic function, survivors with abnormal NT‐proBNP had higher rates per 1000 person‐years of cardiac mortality (2.93 vs 0.96; P < .0001) and future cardiomyopathy (32.10 vs 15.98; P < .0001) and an increased risk of future cardiomyopathy (HR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.28‐4.08) according to a multivariable assessment.
Conclusions
Abnormal NT‐proBNP values were prevalent and, among survivors who were exposed to cardiotoxic therapy but did not have a history of cardiomyopathy or current systolic dysfunction, identified those at increased risk for future cardiomyopathy. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this novel finding.
In this longitudinal cohort study including 1213 adult survivors of childhood cancer, nearly 25% have an abnormal N‐terminal pro–B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) value for age and sex at the baseline. Among survivors exposed to cardiotoxic therapy who have a normal ejection fraction at the baseline, those with an abnormal NT‐proBNP value have more than twice the risk of future cardiomyopathy; this is a significant finding.
We present the first comprehensive investigation of clonal hematopoiesis (CH) in 2,860 long-term survivors of pediatric cancer with a median follow-up time of 23.5 years. Deep sequencing over 39 ...CH-related genes reveals mutations in 15% of the survivors, significantly higher than the 8.5% in 324 community controls. CH in survivors is associated with exposures to alkylating agents, radiation, and bleomycin. Therapy-related CH shows significant enrichment in STAT3, characterized as a CH gene specific to survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma, and TP53. Single-cell profiling of peripheral blood samples revealed STAT3 mutations predominantly present in T cells and contributed by SBS25, a mutational signature associated with procarbazine exposure. Serial sample tracking reveals that larger clone size is a predictor for future expansion of age-related CH clones, whereas therapy-related CH remains stable decades after treatment. These data depict the distinct dynamics of these CH subtypes and support the need for longitudinal monitoring to determine the potential contribution to late effects.
This first comprehensive CH analysis in long-term survivors of pediatric cancer presents the elevated prevalence and therapy exposures/diagnostic spectrum associated with CH. Due to the contrasting dynamics of clonal expansion for age-related versus therapy-related CH, longitudinal monitoring is recommended to ascertain the long-term effects of therapy-induced CH in pediatric cancer survivors. See related commentary by Collord and Behjati, p. 811. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 799.
Radiation-associated cardiac disease is a major cause of morbidity/mortality among childhood cancer survivors. Radiation dose-response relationships for cardiac substructures and cardiac diseases ...remain unestablished.
Using the 25,481 5-year survivors of childhood cancer treated from 1970 to 1999 in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, we evaluated coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF), valvular disease (VD), and arrhythmia. We reconstructed radiation doses for each survivor to the coronary arteries, chambers, valves, and whole heart. Excess relative rate (ERR) models and piecewise exponential models evaluated dose-response relationships.
The cumulative incidence 35 years from diagnosis was 3.9% (95% CI, 3.4 to 4.3) for CAD, 3.8% (95% CI, 3.4 to 4.2) for HF, 1.2% (95% CI, 1.0 to 1.5) for VD, and 1.4% (95% CI, 1.1 to 1.6) for arrhythmia. A total of 12,288 survivors (48.2%) were exposed to radiotherapy. Quadratic ERR models improved fit compared with linear ERR models for the dose-response relationship between mean whole heart and CAD, HF, and arrhythmia, suggesting a potential threshold dose; however, such departure from linearity was not observed for most cardiac substructure end point dose-response relationships. Mean doses of 5-9.9 Gy to the whole heart did not increase the risk of any cardiac diseases. Mean doses of 5-9.9 Gy to the right coronary artery (rate ratio RR, 2.6 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.1) and left ventricle (RR, 2.2 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.7) increased risk of CAD, and to the tricuspid valve (RR, 5.5 95% CI, 2.0 to 15.1) and right ventricle (RR, 8.4 95% CI, 3.7 to 19.0) increased risk of VD.
Among children with cancer, there may be no threshold dose below which radiation to the cardiac substructures does not increase the risk of cardiac diseases. This emphasizes their importance in modern treatment planning.
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors experience neurocognitive impairment despite receiving no central nervous system-directed therapy, though little is known about the underlying mechanisms.
HL survivors ...(n = 197) and age-, sex- and race/ethnicity frequency-matched community controls (n = 199) underwent standardized neurocognitive testing, and serum collection. Luminex multiplex or ELISA assays measured markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Linear regression models compared biomarker concentrations between survivors and controls and with neurocognitive outcomes, adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, anti-inflammatory medication, and recent infections.
HL survivors mean (SD) current age 36 (8) years, 22 (8) years after diagnosis demonstrated higher concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL6), high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), compared with controls (P's < 0.001). Among survivors, higher concentrations of IL6 were associated with worse visuomotor processing speed (P = 0.046). hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L was associated with worse attention, processing speed, memory, and executive function (P's < 0.05). Higher concentrations of malondialdehyde were associated with worse focused attention and visual processing speed (P's < 0.05). Homocysteine was associated with worse short-term recall (P = 0.008). None of these associations were statistically significant among controls. Among survivors, hs-CRP partially mediated associations between cardiovascular or endocrine conditions and visual processing speed, whereas IL6 partially mediated associations between pulmonary conditions and visuomotor processing speed.
Neurocognitive function in long-term survivors of HL appears to be associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, both representing potential targets for future intervention trials.
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