Analysis of overweight/obese pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia: a report from the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group AML-05 study

The dosage of chemotherapy drugs for overweight/obese children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been empirically reduced based on ideal body weight (BW) in Japan to reduce the risk of adverse events. We investigated the associations between pre-therapeutic body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes among children with AML. A total of 280 children were divided into two groups based on the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards: a healthy-weight group (n = 254), and an overweight/obese group (n = 26). If BW exceeded 1.2 times the standard BW of Japanese children, the dosage of chemotherapy drugs was calculated using 1.2 times the standard BW. The dosage of chemotherapy drugs was reduced during at least one chemotherapy cycle in 24 of 26 patients (92.3