NUTRITIONAL STATE ALTERATIONS IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA DURING INDUCTION AND CONSOLIDATION OF CHEMOTHERAPY

The objective of the study was to determine if children with high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) exhibit higher frequency of altera tions in nutritional state during the phases of induction and consolid ation of chemotherapy than children with low risk ALL, based on the ar m muscle area, The design was concurrent comparative cohorts, It was p erformed at pediatric hematology service of the Hospital General del C entro Medico Nacional ''La Raza'' and hematology service of the Hospit al de Pediatria del Centro Medico Nacional ''Siglo XXI'', One hundred- five patients were incorporated into the study: 53 with high risk (HR) ALL and 52 with low risk (LR) ALL, Basal measurements of arm circumfe rence and tricipital skinfold were surveyed monthly (for 3 months) by standardized personnel, Altered nutritional state during follow-up was defined as the loss of 10% or more of the arm muscular area (AMA) mea sured at diagnosis. Statistics of proportion analysis with a significa nce level of 0.05 and relative risk (RR) with confidence intervals (CI ) were calculated, In the first month the RR was 0.77 (CI 0.31-1.87); the LR group was the mast affected, In the second month the RR was 731 (CI 1.41-38.03); the most affected group was the HR, In the third mon th the RR was 1.77 (CI 0.60-4.92); the HR group was the most affected, High-risk patients show a higher frequency of nutritional state alter ations reflected in AMA during the second month after diagnosis, This may be caused by the more aggressive chemotherapy received by these pa tients.