Hyperglycemia and Other Glycemic Measures Throughout Therapy for Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Lymphoma

Transient hyperglycemia during induction chemotherapy is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Treatment with glucocorticoids, asparaginase, and stress are the proposed causal factors. Although these risks are not exclusive to induction, glycemic control throughout the remainder of ALL/lymphoma (ALL/ALLy) therapy has not been described. Furthermore, prior research has been limited to transient hyperglycemia. This study aimed to characterize glycemic control throughout ALL/ALLy and to evaluate risk factors and outcomes associated with increased mean glucose and glucose coefficient of variation (glucose CV) during induction chemotherapy. The records for 220 pediatric/young adult patients, age 1 to 26 years, who underwent treatment for ALL/ALLy from 2010 to 2014 at Children's Hospital Colorado were retrospectively reviewed. Measures of glycemic control were calculated for each cycle. For the cycle with the highest mean glucose, induction (n=208), multivariable models were performed to identify potential risk factors and consequences of increased glucose. Highest mean glucose by cycle were induction 116 mg/dL, pretreatment 108 mg/dL, delayed intensification 96 mg/dL, and maintenance 93 mg/dL; these cycles also had the most glycemic variability. During induction, patients with Down syndrome, or who were ≥12 years and overweight/obese, had higher mean glucoses; age and overweight/obese status were each associated with increased glucose CV. In multivariable analysis, neither induction mean glucose nor glucose CV were associated with increased hazard of infection, relapse, or death.