Hormonal Imbalance in Adult Survivors of Pediatric Cranial Tumors Reported

Investigators at St. Jude assessed the levels of pituitary hormones growth hormone, luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and adrenocorticotropic hormone) in adults who had undergone cranial radiotherapy following a childhood cancer.

The 748 participants in the study who had received cranial radiotherapy, included 394 men (mean age 34.2 years) who were observed for a mean of 27.3 years. The study examined the associations between demographic and treatment-related risk factors and pituitary deficiencies, as well as associations between untreated deficiencies and cardiovascular health, bone mineral density, and physical fitness.

The authors observed anterior pituitary deficits following cranial radiotherapy. Additonally, continued development of growth hormone deficiency and deficiencies in luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone were observed, with possible associations between nontreatment of these conditions and poor health outcomes.

The paper has been published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology: http://bit.ly/1JmmBji