EFFECT OF NUTRITIONAL-STATUS ON THE INCIDENCE OF INFECTION IN CHILDHOOD-CANCER

In 52 children with cancer, the effect of nutritional status on infect ion rate was studied. Thirty-two children had solid tumors and 20 had leukemia. Their treatment courses were arbitrarily divided into 3-mont h periods. Where treatment lasted for 9 months or more, the initial Nu tritional Status score was correlated with infection rate during the s ubsequent 3-month period. Among the leukemic patients, a statistically significant inverse correlation (P < 0.05) was found between nutritio nal status and ensuing infection rate. No such correlation was found i n children with solid tumors. Based on these findings, we recommend nu tritional support to children with leukemia during chemotherapy to att empt to reduce the infection rate.