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Vitamin D status in paediatric patients with cancer
Author(s) -
Sinha Akash,
Avery Peter,
Turner Steve,
Bailey Simon,
Cheetham Tim
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.22963
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin d and neurology , malignancy , vitamin d deficiency , vitamin , cancer , disease , gastroenterology , pediatrics , blood sampling , physiology
Background Children with malignant disease are at increased risk of bone disorders and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D status may influence this risk and so we assessed vitamin D levels in children with malignant disease undergoing active treatment or surveillance post‐therapy. Procedure This was an outpatient‐based cross‐sectional study of 61 children with a history of malignancy (median age 11.1 years; range 1.5–24.4 years) and 60 control subjects (median age 8.4 years; range 0.2–18.0 years) attending hospital for the management of non‐malignant disorders. Serum vitamin D (25‐OH‐D), parathormone levels and bone biochemistry were determined. Vitamin D status and its relationship to age, sex, ethnicity, time of sampling and presence of malignant disease was determined. Results Vitamin D status was suboptimal in 62% of cases (25‐OH‐D < 50 nmol/L [20 ng/ml]). Vitamin D deficiency (25‐OH‐D < 25 nmol/L [10 ng/ml]) was more common in children with malignant disease than controls (21.3% vs. 3.3%; P = 0.013). Month of sampling ( P < 0.001), ethnicity ( P < 0.001), older age ( P = 0.011), and history of malignancy ( P = 0.012) were associated with a poorer vitamin D status. Conclusions Vitamin D levels [25‐OH‐D] are lower in survivors of childhood cancer in comparison to control children with the majority either insufficient or deficient. Assessment and adequate replacement of vitamin D status may be of particular value in this group of children. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011; 57: 594–598. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.