ESPE Abstracts

Background: The progress made in the treatment of childhood cancer has resulted in better long-term survival rates. Therefore sequelae of treatment have become more important.

Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the prevalence of early endocrine disorders in survivors of a childhood tumour within the 1st years after diagnosis.

Method: We performed a retrospective medical record review of survivors followed at the endocrine clinic of a tertiary paediatric centre. Outcome measures were frequency and types of endocrine dysfunction.

Results: 57 patients (27 women) were included. The age at tumour diagnosis was 6.0±4.3 years and follow-up time was 7.6±3.5 years. Primary treatment for the neoplasm was chemotherapy in 55 cases and radiotherapy in 40. The proportion of patients with any endocrine disorder increased to 17/57 (29.8%) at the end of the follow-up period. The most common reported endocrine disorders were primary gonadal dysfunction (n=10), primary hypothyroidism (n=4), and pituitary dysfunction (n=4).

Conclusion: Endocrine disorders are frequently seen within the 1st years after diagnosis of a childhood cancer. Inconsistent endocrine follow up leads to unnecessary delay in diagnosis and treatment.