Summary
We studied the hormonal pattern of nine patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patients were treated with standard therapeutic regimens. They were overweight by a mean of 52% at the end of the consolidation treatment, and this persisted after a followup of 2 years. The only endocrine alteration observed was a moderate decrease in serum testosterone levels in male patients. The other parameters studied were in the normal range. We conclude that prolonged treatment with high doses of corticosteroids, which have a depressive effect on metabolism, was responsible for the obesity.
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Pagano, L., De Rosa, G., Voso, M.T. et al. Prevalence of obesity in young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Int J Clin Lab Res 24, 117–119 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02593912
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02593912