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Growth effects of methylphenidate among childhood cancer survivors: A 12-month case-matched open-label study

  1. Bruce W. Jasper PhD1,
  2. Heather M. Conklin PhD1,*,
  3. Joanne Lawford PhD1,
  4. E. Brannon Morris MD2,
  5. Scott C. Howard MD3,
  6. Shengjie Wu MS4,
  7. Xiaoping Xiong PhD4,
  8. John Shelso MD5,
  9. Raja B. Khan MD6

Article first published online: 14 OCT 2008

DOI: 10.1002/pbc.21770

Issue

Pediatric Blood & Cancer

Pediatric Blood & Cancer

Volume 52, Issue 1, pages 39–43, January 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Jasper, B. W., Conklin, H. M., Lawford, J., Morris, E. B., Howard, S. C., Wu, S., Xiong, X., Shelso, J. and Khan, R. B. (2009), Growth effects of methylphenidate among childhood cancer survivors: A 12-month case-matched open-label study. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, 52: 39–43. doi: 10.1002/pbc.21770

Author Information

  1. 1

    Division of Behavioral Medicine, University of Tennessee, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

  2. 2

    Division of Neurology, University of Tennessee, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

  3. 3

    Department of Oncology, University of Tennessee, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

  4. 4

    Department of Biostatistics, University of Tennessee, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

  5. 5

    Division of Endocrinology, University of Tennessee, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

  6. 6

    Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee

*Division of Behavioral Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale Street, Memphis, TN 38105-2794.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 12 NOV 2008
  2. Article first published online: 14 OCT 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 14 AUG 2008
  4. Manuscript Received: 27 MAR 2008

Funded by

  • National Cancer Institute. Grant Numbers: P30 CA21765, R01CA078957, U01 CA81445
  • American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC)

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Keywords:

  • brain tumor;
  • growth;
  • leukemia;
  • methylphenidate

Abstract

Background

To investigate the effect of stimulant medication [methylphenidate (MPH)] on growth patterns among survivors of childhood cancer (acute lymphoblastic leukemia or brain tumor).

Procedure

Using a case-matched comparison design, childhood cancer survivors participating in a 12-month open-label MPH trial (n = 51) were compared with childhood cancer survivors not taking MPH (n = 51). Measures of body mass index (BMI), height, and weight were obtained at hospital visits and corrected for gender and age using Centers for Disease Control normative data.

Results

Significant deceleration of BMI and weight, but not height, was observed during the 12-month MPH trial for those children taking MPH.

Conclusions

Childhood cancer survivors taking MPH experience significant, though modest, deceleration of BMI and weight across the first year of MPH intervention. The absence of height deceleration, and the presence of only modest BMI and weight deceleration, suggests that MPH is reasonably well tolerated by childhood cancer survivors with respect to growth. Such findings are encouraging in light of increasing evidence that MPH mitigates some of the cognitive late-effects of cancer treatments. Nevertheless, on a case-by-case basis, clinicians should balance the intended benefits of MPH with potential growth effects in this vulnerable population. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:39–43. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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