Growth trajectories and risk of underweight and overweight in childhood cancer patients and survivors: a longitudinal multicentre cohort study protocol

Wait 5 sec.

Background: Underweight, overweight, and linear growth during and after cancer treatment can impact treatment efficacy and survival in childhood cancer patients, and long-term health in childhood cancer survivors (CCS). However, scientific evidence on the weight status and growth of CCS is limited. Previous studies have been small, focused on specific cancer types, or lacked objectively measured longitudinal data. The availability of standardized, semantically interoperable routine data from oncology clinics offers an unprecedented opportunity to investigate nutritional status across all childhood cancer types, treatment regimens, and critical time windows. Objectives: We will investigate underweight, overweight, and growth trajectories from birth to adulthood in childhood cancer patients and survivors. We will identify predictors associated with distinct growth and weight trajectories and assess the consistency of findings across European countries. Methods: The Growth study will collect routinely recorded sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric data from paediatric and adolescent cancer patients (aged