Background/Aim: This longitudinal study aimed to analyze the prevalence of endocrine disorders in childhood brain tumor survivors in South Korea using claims data. Patients and Methods: We identified in 1,058 patients from a nationwide cohort of patients diagnosed with brain tumors between January 1st 2009 to March 29th 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between clinical factors and endocrine disorders. Results: After a median follow-up of 60.0 months, 393 (37.1%) patients had at least 1 endocrine disorder. The commonest endocrine disorders were hypopituitarism (17.4%) and hypothyroidism (6.1%). Female gender (odds ratio(OR)=1.45, p=0.005) and age <10 years (OR=1.65, p=0.001) conferred a higher risk. Patients who received radiotherapy were more likely to have endocrine disorders compared to those who did not (OR=1.79, p<0.001). Conclusion: Regular assessment of endocrine function and timely interventions are necessary for childhood brain tumor survivors with a risk of endocrine disorders. Brain tumors are the second commonest cause of cancer in children and account for 21% of all pediatric cancers (1). Advancements in treatment have allowed 74% of children diagnosed with brain tumors to become long-term survivors (2). Despite improvements in prognosis, cancer survivors continue to suffer from treatment-related side-effects that impair their quality of life (3). These adverse effects may be related to the tumor burden, surgical interventions, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy (4). Many of the late effects are attributable to direct damage of brain development (5), and include disorders of the endocrine system (6). Among them, childhood brain tumors located near the hypothalamic-pituitary area are particularly associated with an increased risk of hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) dysfunction (7). Common endocrine complications include the growth hormone (GH) deficiency and insufficient levels of thyrotropic and adrenocorticotropic hormones (8). In addition, the prevalence of endocrine disease among patients with childhood brain tumors is 49%, and that of more than one endocrine deficiency is estimated to be 40% (9). Reports suggest that the lack of an appropriate and timely follow-up escaping diagnosis of developing endocrine disorders could result in late referrals, adversely affecting the hormone balance of these patients (10). Reports on the number of childhood brain tumor survivors being currently treated for endocrine disorders in South Korea are scarce. In addition, recommendations for screening endocrinopathy are based on limited variables and as a result of studies in small patient populations (11). For all these reasons, we aimed to analyze large-scale nationwide data for identifying the prevalence of endocrine disorders among childhood brain tumor survivors. We also evaluated the risk factors associated with these disorders. Patients and Methods Patients under 18 years of age who were diagnosed with pediatric brain tumors between January 2007 and December 2016 were ident...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.