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Updated: Dec 25, 2025
Assessment of the Metabolic Profile of Primary Leukemia Cells
Published on: November 21, 2018
Evaluation of diet as a risk factor in the development of childhood leukaemia: a case control study
Aqeela Ayub1, Qazi Mumtaz Ahmad2, Tahir Javed3
1Department of Pediatric Medicine, Children Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Insights
Children consuming more caffeinated drinks and junk food showed a higher risk of developing childhood leukemia. Conversely, higher intake of fresh fruits was associated with a lower risk in healthy children. This highlights potential dietary links to pediatric cancer.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Childhood leukemia is a significant health concern globally.
- Dietary patterns are increasingly recognized as potential modifiable risk factors for various cancers.
- Understanding specific food group associations is crucial for preventative strategies in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between specific dietary risk factors and the incidence of childhood leukemia.
- To compare dietary intake patterns between children diagnosed with leukemia and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 90 children (aged 2-12 years) diagnosed with leukemia and 90 matched healthy controls.
- Dietary intake data for six food groups (raw vegetables, fresh fruits, packed fruit juices, caffeinated drinks, junk foods, processed/precooked foods) collected via maternal interviews.
- Statistical analysis using SPSS to compare consumption frequencies between cases and controls.
Main Results:
- Consumption of caffeinated drinks and junk food was significantly higher in children with leukemia (p=0.001).
- Healthy children consumed significantly more fresh fruits compared to the leukemia group (p=0.0012).
- No significant differences were observed in the consumption of raw vegetables, packed fruit juices, or processed foods between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Higher intake of caffeinated beverages and junk foods may be associated with an increased risk of childhood leukemia.
- Increased consumption of fresh fruits appears to be a protective factor, associated with lower risk in healthy children.
- These findings suggest that dietary modifications could play a role in the prevention of pediatric leukemia.
Objective:
To evaluate probable association of dietary risk factors with childhood leukaemia.
Methods:
The case-control study was conducted at the Children Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan, from January to December 2017, and comprised children of either gender aged 2-12 years with recently diagnosed acute lymphocytic or acute myelocytic leukaemia An age and gender matched equal group of healthy children was taken as controls. Dietary-intake data was collected for six food groups, namely raw vegetables, fresh fruits, packed fruit juices, caffeinated drinks, junk foods, and processed/precooked food items. Frequency of the selected food group consumption was summarised in six categories: rarely/never, 1-3 days/week, 4-6 days/week, once daily, twice daily and thrice daily. Data was collected through interviews with the mothers using a pre-designed questionnaire, and was analysed using SPSS 21.
Results:
Of the 90 subjects, 45(50%) were in each of the two groups. There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups (p>0.05). Consumption of caffeinated drinks and junk food was significantly higher in cases (p=0.001) while controls showed significantly higher consumption of fresh fruits (p=0.0012). No significant difference was noted for consumption of vegetables, packed fruit juices and processed food between the groups (p> 0. 05 ).
Conclusions:
Higher consumption of caffeinated drinks and junk food was observed in cases compared to controls.
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