Degree of fatness after allogeneic BMT for childhood leukaemia or lymphoma

Excess fatness is frequent after childhood ALL treated without BMT. We meas ured the whole-body percent fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and the body-mass index (weight/height(2) (kg/m(2)). BMI) in 25 survivors of child hood leukaemia or lymphoma (21 with ALL) who had received TBI and allogenei c BMT a median of 8 years ago (range 4-13). Adjusted for sex and age, the m ean BMI was slightly but significantly reduced (0.4 s.d. below predicted) a nd the whole-body percent fat was significantly increased compared with hea lthy controls (1.1 s.d. above predicted). Eleven of 25 patients had a perce nt fat above the 90 percentile of the reference values, which indicates exc ess fatness. Adjusted for sex and age, a higher percent fat was related to additional cranial irradiation. Controlled for this, the whole-body percent fat seemed to be unrelated to age at BMT, length of follow-up, and previou s chemotherapy. Compared with untransplanted ALL survivors treated with cra nial irradiation, BMT survivors had significantly reduced BMI but similar w hole body percent fat. BMI was a poor measure of body fatness in these pati ents. In conclusion, survivors of BMT for childhood leukaemia or lymphoma a re adipose and slightly underweight and consequently have a substantially r educed lean body mass.