CHEMOTHERAPY PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE INHIBITION OF CATCH-UP GROWTH DURING MAINTENANCE THERAPY FOR CHILDHOOD ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA

Objective. In children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), catch-up growth occurs after cessation of therapy and not during main tenance therapy. In this study we investigated whether this inhibition of catch-up growth during maintenance treatment is attributable to th e influence of chemotherapy or to the influence of corticosteroids. Pa tients. Forty-six children treated for ALL were included in the study. In 27 patients maintenance therapy comprised vincristine (VCR), predn isone (Pred), or dexamethasone (Dexa) alternated with 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and methotrexate (MTX) and 19 patients received maintenance th erapy with 6-MP and MTX only. Treatment did not include cranial irradi ation. Results. Statural growth during maintenance treatment was compa rable in both groups over the study period of 1.5 years. Conclusion. C hemotherapy with 6-MP and MTX, and not corticosteroids, is the main fa ctor that prevents catch-up growth from occurring during maintenance t herapy for ALL.