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Survivors of childhood cancer develop early and severe chronic health conditions (CHCs). A quantitative landscape of morbidity of survivors, however, has not been described. We aimed to describe the cumulative burden of curative cancer therapy in a clinically assessed ageing population of long-term survivors of childhood cancer. The St Jude Lifetime Cohort Study (SJLIFE) retrospectively collected data on CHCs in all patients treated for childhood cancer at the St Jude Children's Research Hospital who survived 10 years or longer from initial diagnosis and were 18 years or older as of June 30, 2015. Age-matched and sex-frequency-matched community controls were used for comparison. 21 treatment exposure variables were included in the analysis, with data abstracted from medical records. 168 CHCs for all participants were graded for severity using a modified Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events. Multiple imputation with predictive mean matching was used for missing occurrences and grades of CHCs in the survivors who were not clinically evaluable. Mean cumulative count was used for descriptive cumulative burden analysis and marked-point-process regression was used for inferential cumulative burden analysis. Of 5522 patients treated for childhood cancer at St Jude Children's Research Hospital who had complete records, survived 10 years or longer, and were 18 years or older at time of study, 3010 (54·5%) were alive, had enrolled, and had had prospective clinical assessment. 2512 (45·5%) of the 5522 patients were not clinically evaluable. The cumulative incidence of CHCs at age 50 years was 99·9% (95% CI 99·9–99·9) for grade 1–5 CHCs and 96·0% (95% CI 95·3–96·8%) for grade 3–5 CHCs. By age 50 years, a survivor had experienced, on average, 17·1 (95% CI 16·2–18·1) CHCs of any grade, of which 4·7 (4·6–4·9) were CHCs of grade 3–5. The cumulative burden in matched community controls of grade 1–5 CHCs was 9·2 (95% CI 7·9–10·6; p<0·0001 vs total study population) and of grade 3–5 CHCs was 2·3 (1·9–2·7, p<0·0001 vs total study population). Second neoplasms, spinal disorders, and pulmonary disease were major contributors to the excess total cumulative burden. Notable heterogeneity in the distribution of CHC burden in survivors with differing primary cancer diagnoses was observed. The cumulative burden of grade 1–5 CHCs at age 50 years was highest in survivors of CNS malignancies (24·2 [95% CI 20·9–27·5]) and lowest in survivors of germ cell tumours (14·0 [11·5–16·6]). Multivariable analyses showed that older age at diagnosis, treatment era, and higher doses of brain and chest radiation are significantly associated with a greater cumulative burden and severity of CHCs. The burden of CHCs in survivors of childhood cancer is substantial and highly variable. Our assessment of total cumulative burden in survivors of paediatric cancer, with detailed characterisation of long-term CHCs, provide data to better inform future clinical guidelines, research investigations, and health services planning for this vulnerable, medically complex population. The US National Cancer Institute, St Baldrick's Foundation, and the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities.

The effect of many contemporary chemotherapeutic drugs on pregnancy and livebirth is not well established. We aimed to establish the effects of these drugs on pregnancy in male and female survivors of childhood cancer not exposed to pelvic or cranial radiotherapy. We used data from a subset of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort, which followed 5-year survivors of the most common types of childhood cancer who were diagnosed before age 21 years and treated at 27 institutions in the USA and Canada between 1970 and 1999. We extracted doses of 14 alkylating and similar DNA interstrand crosslinking drugs from medical records. We used sex-specific Cox models to establish the independent effects of each drug and the cumulative cyclophosphamide equivalent dose of all drugs in relation to pregnancies and livebirths occurring between ages 15 years and 44 years. We included siblings of survivors as a comparison group. We included 10 938 survivors and 3949 siblings. After a median follow-up of 8 years (IQR 4–12) from cohort entry or at age 15 years, whichever was later, 4149 (38%) survivors reported having or siring a pregnancy, of whom 3453 (83%) individuals reported at least one livebirth. After a median follow-up of 10 years (IQR 6–15), 2445 (62%) siblings reported having or siring a pregnancy, of whom 2201 (90%) individuals reported at least one livebirth. In multivariable analysis, survivors had a decreased likelihood of siring or having a pregnancy versus siblings (male survivors: hazard ratio [HR] 0·63, 95% CI 0·58–0·68; p<0·0001; female survivors: 0·87, 0·81–0·94; p<0·0001) or of having a livebirth (male survivors: 0·63, 0·58–0·69; p<0·0001; female survivors: 0·82, 0·76–0·89; p<0·0001). In male survivors, reduced likelihood of pregnancy was associated with upper tertile doses of cyclophosphamide (HR 0·60, 95% CI 0·51–0·71; p<0·0001), ifosfamide (0·42, 0·23–0·79; p=0·0069), procarbazine (0·30, 0·20–0·46; p<0·0001) and cisplatin (0·56, 0·39–0·82; p=0·0023). Cyclophosphamide equivalent dose in male survivors was significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of siring a pregnancy (per 5000 mg/m2 increments: HR 0·82, 95% CI 0·79–0·86; p<0·0001). However, in female survivors, only busulfan (<450 mg/m2 HR 0·22, 95% CI 0·06–0·79; p=0·020; ≥450 mg/m2 0·14, 0·03–0·55; p=0·0051) and doses of lomustine equal to or greater than 411 mg/m2 (0·41, 0·17–0·98; p=0·046) were significantly associated with reduced pregnancy; cyclophosphamide equivalent dose was associated with risk only at the highest doses in analyses categorised by quartile (upper quartile vs no exposure: HR 0·85, 95% CI 0·74–0·98; p=0·023). Results for livebirth were similar to those for pregnancy. Greater doses of contemporary alkylating drugs and cisplatin were associated with a decreased likelihood of siring a pregnancy in male survivors of childhood cancer. However, our findings should provide reassurance to most female survivors treated with chemotherapy without radiotherapy to the pelvis or brain, given that chemotherapy-specific effects on pregnancy were generally few. Nevertheless, consideration of fertility preservation before cancer treatment remains important to maximise the reproductive potential of all adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer. National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and the American Lebanese–Syrian Associated Charities.

Alterations in treatment intensity and decreased use of radiation therapy have reduced the risk of late treatment-related death in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. In the 1960s, fewer than half the children in whom cancer was diagnosed were still alive 5 years later. 1 Now, more than 83% of patients with a childhood cancer in the United States become 5-year survivors of the disease. 2 As a result, in 2013 it was estimated that there were more than 420,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the United States and that by the year 2020 this number would surpass 500,000. 3 Increased success in the treatment of childhood cancers has been achieved through the systematic conduct of clinical trials to assess the efficacy of multimodal approaches involving combination chemotherapy, . . .

Context:Long-term follow-up data on premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in childhood cancer survivors are limited.Objective:To describe the prevalence of POI, its risk factors, and associated long-term adverse health outcomes.Design:Cross-sectional.Setting:The St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study, an established cohort in a tertiary care center.Patients:Nine hundred twenty-one participants (median age, 31.7 years) were evaluated at a median of 24.0 years after cancer diagnosis.Main Outcome Measure:POI was defined by persistent amenorrhea combined with a follicle-stimulating hormone level >30 IU/L before age 40. Multivariable Cox regression was used to study associations between demographic or treatment-related risk factors and POI. Multivariable logistic regression was used to study associations between POI and markers for cardiovascular disease, bone mineral density (BMD), and frailty. Exposure to alkylating agents was quantified using the validated cyclophosphamide equivalent dose (CED).Results:The prevalence of POI was 10.9%. Independent risk factors for POI included ovarian radiotherapy at any dose and CED ≥8000 mg/m2. Patients with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 at the time of the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort assessment were less likely to have a diagnosis of POI. Low BMD and frailty were independently associated with POI.Conclusion:High-dose alkylating agents and ovarian radiotherapy at any dose are associated with POI. Patients at the highest risk should be offered fertility preservation whenever feasible. POI contributes to poor general health outcomes in childhood cancer survivors; further studies are needed to investigate the role of sex hormone replacement in improving such outcomes.We report on the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences on general health of premature ovarian insufficiency in a cohort of 921 long-term survivors of childhood cancers.

Few data define the dose-specific relation between alkylating agent exposure and semen variables in adult survivors of childhood cancer. We undertook this study to test the hypothesis that increased exposure to alkylating agents would be associated with decreased sperm concentration in a cohort of adult male survivors of childhood cancer who were not exposed to radiation therapy for their childhood cancer. We did semen analysis on 214 adult male survivors of childhood cancer (median age 7·7 years [range 0·01–20·3] at diagnosis, 29·0 years [18·4–56·1] at assessment, and a median of 21·0 years [10·5–41·6] since diagnosis) who had received alkylating agent chemotherapy but no radiation therapy. Alkylating agent exposure was estimated using the cyclophosphamide equivalent dose (CED). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for oligospermia (sperm concentration >0 and <15 million per mL) and azoospermia were calculated with logistic regression modelling. Azoospermia was noted in 53 (25%) of 214 participants, oligospermia in 59 (28%), and normospermia (sperm concentration ≥15 million per mL) in 102 (48%) participants. 31 (89%) of 35 participants who received CED less than 4000 mg/m2 were normospermic. CED was negatively correlated with sperm concentration (correlation coefficient=–0·37, p<0·0001). Mean CED was 10 830 mg/m2 (SD 7274) in patients with azoospermia, 8480 mg/m2 (4264) in patients with oligospermia, and 6626 mg/m2 (3576) in patients with normospermia. In multivariable analysis, CED was significantly associated with an increased risk per 1000 mg/m2 CED for azoospermia (OR 1·22, 95% CI 1·11–1·34), and for oligospermia (1·14, 1·04–1·25), but age at diagnosis and age at assessment were not. Impaired spermatogenesis was unlikely when the CED was less than 4000 mg/m2. Although sperm concentration decreases with increasing CED, there was substantial overlap of CED associated with normospermia, oligospermia, and azoospermia. These data can inform pretreatment patient counselling and use of fertility preservation services. US National Cancer Institute, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities.

Serious chronic medical conditions occur in childhood cancer survivors. We aimed to investigate incidence of and risk factors for end-organ damage resulting in registration on a waiting list for or receiving a solid organ transplantation and 5-year survival following these procedures. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a retrospective cohort of individuals who survived at least 5 years after childhood cancer diagnosed at younger than 21 years of age, between Jan 1, 1970, and Dec 31, 1986, at one of 25 institutions in the USA. We linked data from CCSS participants treated in the USA diagnosed between Jan 1, 1970, and Dec 31, 1986 (without solid organ transplantation before cohort entry) to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network—a database of all US organ transplants. Eligible participants had been diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma, malignant CNS tumours, neuroblastoma, Wilms' tumours, and bone and soft tissue sarcomas. The two primary endpoints for each type of organ transplant were date of first registration of a transplant candidate on the waiting list for an organ and the date of the first transplant received. We also calculated the cumulative incidence of being placed on a waiting list or receiving a solid organ transplantation, hazard ratios (HRs) for identified risk factors, and 5-year survival following transplantation. Of 13 318 eligible survivors, 100 had 103 solid organ transplantations (50 kidney, 37 heart, nine liver, seven lung) and 67 were registered on a waiting list without receiving a transplant (21 kidney, 25 heart, 15 liver, six lung). At 35 years after cancer diagnosis, the cumulative incidence of transplantation or being on a waiting list was 0·54% (95% CI 0·40–0·67) for kidney transplantation, 0·49% (0·36–0·62) for heart, 0·19% (0·10–0·27) for liver, and 0·10% (0·04–0·16) for lung. Risk factors for kidney transplantation were unilateral nephrectomy (HR 4·2, 95% CI 2·3–7·7), ifosfamide (24·9, 7·4–83·5), total body irradiation (6·9, 2·3–21·1), and mean kidney radiation of greater than 15 Gy (>15–20 Gy, 3·6 [1·5–8·5]; >20 Gy 4·6 [1·1–19·6]); for heart transplantation, anthracycline and mean heart radiation of greater than 20 Gy (dose-dependent, both p<0·0001); for liver transplantation, dactinomycin (3·8, 1·3–11·3) and methotrexate (3·3, 1·0–10·2); for lung transplantation, carmustine (12·3, 3·1–48·9) and mean lung radiation of greater than 10 Gy (15·6, 2·6–92·7). 5-year overall survival after solid organ transplantation was 93·5% (95% CI 81·0–97·9) for kidney transplantation, 80·6% (63·6–90·3) for heart, 27·8% (4·4–59·1) for liver, and 34·3% (4·8–68·6) for lung. Solid organ transplantation is uncommon in ageing childhood cancer survivors. Organ-specific exposures were associated with increased solid organ transplantation incidence. Survival outcomes showed that solid organ transplantation should be considered for 5-year childhood cancer survivors with severe end-organ failure. US National Institute of Health, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, US Health Resources and Services Administration.

The reproductive implications of mutagenic treatments given to children with cancer are not clear. By studying the risk of untoward pregnancy outcomes, we indirectly assessed the risk of transmission of germline damage to the offspring of survivors of childhood cancer who were given radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We did a retrospective cohort analysis, within the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), of the risk of stillbirth and neonatal death among the offspring of men and women who had survived childhood cancer. Patients in CCSS were younger than 21 years at initial diagnosis of an eligible cancer, were treated at 25 US institutions and one Canadian institution, and had survived for at least 5 years after diagnosis. We quantified the chemotherapy given to patients, and the preconception radiation doses to the testes, ovaries, uterus, and pituitary gland, and related these to the risk of stillbirth or neonatal death using Poisson regression analysis. Among 1148 men and 1657 women who had survived childhood cancer, there were 4946 pregnancies. Irradiation of the testes (16 [1%] of 1270; adjusted relative risk 0·8 [95% CI 0·4–1·6]; mean dose 0·53 Gy [SD 1·40]) and pituitary gland (17 [3%] of 510, 1·1 [0·5–2·4] for more than 20·00 Gy; mean dose 10·20 Gy [13·0] for women), and chemotherapy with alkylating drugs (26 [2%] of 1195 women, 0·9 [0·5–1·5]; ten [1%] of 732 men, 1·2 [0·5–2·5]) were not associated with an increased risk of stillbirth or neonatal death. Uterine and ovarian irradiation significantly increased risk of stillbirth and neonatal death at doses greater than 10·00 Gy (five [18%] of 28, 9·1 [3·4–24·6]). For girls treated before menarche, irradiation of the uterus and ovaries at doses as low as 1·00–2·49 Gy significantly increased the risk of stillbirth or neonatal death (three [4%] of 69, 4·7 [1·2–19·0]). Our findings do not support concern about heritable genetic changes affecting the risk of stillbirth and neonatal death in the offspring of men exposed to gonadal irradiation. However, uterine and ovarian irradiation had serious adverse effects on the offspring that were probably related to uterine damage. Careful management is warranted of pregnancies in women given high doses of pelvic irradiation before puberty. Westlakes Research Institute, National Cancer Institute, and Children's Cancer Research Fund.

Electrocardiography (ECG), predictive of adverse outcomes in the general population, has not been studied in cancer survivors. We evaluated the prevalence of ECG abnormalities and associations with mortality among childhood cancer survivors. Major and minor abnormalities were coded per the Minnesota Classification system for participants in the St Jude Lifetime Cohort Study (n = 2,715) and community controls (n = 268). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were calculated using multivariable logistic regression; and hazard ratios, using Cox proportional hazards regression. Survivors were a median age of 31.3 (range 18.4-63.8) years at evaluation and 7.4 (range 0-24.8) years at diagnosis. Prior therapies included cardiac-directed radiation (29.5%), anthracycline (57.9%), and alkylating (60%) chemotherapies. The prevalence of minor ECG abnormalities was similar among survivors and controls (65.2% vs 67.5%, P = .6). Major ECG abnormalities were identified in 10.7% of survivors and 4.9% of controls (P < .001). Among survivors, the most common major abnormalities were isolated ST/T wave abnormalities (7.2%), evidence of myocardial infarction (3.7%), and left ventricular hypertrophy with strain pattern (2.8%). Anthracyclines ≥300 mg/m2 (OR 1.7 95% CI 1.1-2.5) and cardiac radiation (OR 2.1 95% CI 1.5-2.9 [1-1,999 cGy], 2.6 95% CI 1.6-3.9 [2,000-2,999 cGy], 10.5 95% CI 6.5-16.9 [≥3,000 cGy]) were associated with major abnormalities. Thirteen participants had a cardiac-related death. Major abnormalities were predictive of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 4.0 95% CI 2.1-7.8). Major ECG abnormalities are common among childhood cancer survivors, associated with increasing doses of anthracyclines and cardiac radiation, and predictive of both cardiac and all-cause mortality.

Background The strength and size of core muscles, including the abdominal muscles, are crucial to proper function in most activities. Therefore, it is important to reliably assess these characteristics. Our primary objective was to determine if the length, thickness and cross-sectional area of the transversus abdominis (TrA) can be visualized independently from the internal and external abdominal oblique muscles using extended field of view ultrasound imaging at rest and with contraction and to establish its intra- and inter-tester reliability. Methods Twenty-six individuals were recruited to participate in the study (20 F, 6 M), average age 24.0 years (SD 9.4), height 170.7 cm (SD 8.6) and weight 63.9 kg (SD 9.0). From this total number of participants, two groups of 16 randomly selected participants were assessed to determine intra- and inter-tester reliability respectively. Extended field of view ultrasound images were obtained at three vertebral levels during rest and contraction in the side lying position for both the right and left sides of the trunk. Results Excellent intra-tester and inter-tester reliability was seen (ICC range of 0.972 to 0.984). The overall average percent standard error of the measurement for all measurements and locations was approximately 4%. The overall average minimal difference for the thickness measurement for the resting and contraction conditions combined were as follows: intratester 0.056 (0.014) cm and intertester 0.054 (0.017) cm, for area intratester 0.287 (0.086) cm 2 and intertester 0.289 (0.101) cm 2 and for length intratester 0.519 (0.097) cm and intertester 0.507 (0.085) cm. Conclusions Extended field of view ultrasound imaging is an effective method of reliably capturing clear images of the TrA during rest and contraction. It provides an efficient mechanism for the analysis of muscle morphology by being able to measure the cross-sectional area, thickness, and length on one image. This methodology is recommended for studies investigating TrA function and training.

Purpose Current information regarding pregnancy-associated cardiomyopathy among women treated for childhood cancer is insufficient to appropriately guide counseling and patient management. This study aims to characterize its prevalence within a large cohort of females exposed to cardiotoxic therapy. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of female cancer survivors treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital between 1963 and 2006, at least 5 years from diagnosis, ≥13 years old at last follow-up, and with at least one successful pregnancy. Pregnancy-associated cardiomyopathy was defined as shortening fraction <28 % or ejection fraction <50 % or treatment for cardiomyopathy during or up to 5 months after completion of pregnancy. Results Among the 847 female cancer survivors with 1554 completed pregnancies, only 3 (0.3 %) developed pregnancy-associated cardiomyopathy and 40 developed non-pregnancy-associated cardiomyopathy either 5 months postpartum ( n  = 14) or prior to pregnancy ( n  = 26). Among those with cardiomyopathy prior to pregnancy ( n  = 26), cardiac function deteriorated during pregnancy in eight patients (three patients with normalization of cardiac function prior to pregnancy, three with persistently abnormal cardiac function, and two for whom resolution of cardiomyopathy was unknown prior to pregnancy). Patients that developed cardiomyopathy received a higher median dose of anthracyclines compared to those that did not (321 versus 164 mg/m 2 ; p  < 0.01). Conclusions Pregnancy-associated cardiomyopathy in childhood cancer survivors is rare. Implications for cancer survivors Most female childhood cancer survivors will have no cardiac complications during or after childbirth; however, those with a history of cardiotoxic therapies should be followed carefully during pregnancy, particularly those with a history of anthracycline exposures and if they had documented previous or current subclinical or symptomatic cardiomyopathy.