Risk of low bone mineral density in young pediatric cancer survivors with sarcopenia.
Authors: Marmol-Perez Andres , Ubago-Guisado Esther , Gil-Cosano Jose J , Pascual-Gázquez Juan Francisco , Llorente-Cantarero Francisco J , Armstrong Gregory T. , Muñoz-Torres Manuel , Martínez-Vizcaíno Vicente , Ness Kirsten K. , Ruiz Jonatan R , Gracia-Marco Luis 
Published: June 2024

10070

Background: Required treatments to cure pediatric cancer at such a young age increase the risk of later health-related complications. Early exposure to DNA damaging agents, during a vital period of active skeletal growth, interferes with accrual of bone mass. Treatments not only impair bone health, but also affect skeletal muscle function and mass. Long-term pediatric cancer survivors present these limitations due to myofibrillary atrophy caused by degradation of myosin heavy chain and decrease in myosin synthesis death. Muscle weakness (both muscle strength deficits and low lean mass hereafter referred to as sarcopenia) and low areal bone mineral density (aBMD) have been observed to coexist in adult survivors of paediatric cancer. However, in young pediatric cancers survivors, associations between sarcopenia and low aBMD are not well described. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the risk of low aBMD in young pediatric cancer survivors with sarcopenia confirmed/probable, compared to not having sarcopenia. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 116 pediatric cancer survivors (12.1±3.3 years old; 42% female) enrolled on a randomized controlled trial designed to improve bone health (iBoneFIT project). Handgrip strength was used to assessed muscle strength. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry estimated aBMD (g/cm2) at the total body (less head), lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck, and appendicular lean mass index (ALMI, kg/m2). Sarcopenia status was determined using age and sex specific international reference data from a healthy population. “No sarcopenia” was defined when muscle strength was >decile 2. “Sarcopenia probable” was defined when muscle strength was ≤decile 2 and ALMI Z-score was > -1.5 standard deviation (SD). “Sarcopenia confirmed” was defined when muscle strength was ≤decile 2 and ALMI Z-score ≤-1.5 SD. Logistic regression, adjusted for time from treatment completion and radiation exposure, was used to evaluate the risk of low aBMD (age-, sex- and race-specific aBMD Z-score < -1.0) by sarcopenia status. Results: More than one-third of survivors met criteria for sarcopenia confirmed (37.9%); 19.0% met criteria for sarcopenia probable. Survivors with sarcopenia confirmed had higher risk of low aBMD at the total body (odd ratio [OR]: 6.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.31-24.15), total hip (OR: 2.98, 95% CI: 1.02-9.54) and femoral neck (OR: 4.72, 95% CI: 1.72-14.19) than those without sarcopenia. Survivors with sarcopenia probable had higher risk of having low aBMD only at the total body (OR: 4.13, 95% CI: 1.04-17.60) than those without sarcopenia. Conclusions: Over one-third of young paediatric cancer survivors presented sarcopenia confirmed with higher risk of low aBMD. These findings suggest that interventions to mitigate osteosarcopenia in this population should be implemented at early stages after treatment completion.