Haematological and renal toxicity of radiation therapy in neuroblastoma paediatric patients.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the renal and hematologic toxicity in paediatric patients with adrenal high-risk neuroblastoma who have received radiation therapy (RT) as part of radical treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pediatric patients diagnosed with high-risk adrenal neuroblastoma who received RT as part of the definitive treatment between January 2004 and May 2020 in a single institution were selected. Complete blood counts (CBC) and creatinine clearance (CrCl) pre-RT and post-RT were compared through the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and correlated with survival analysis by Cox regression. RESULTS: Forty-two children with a median age of 3 years at diagnosis and 2.8 years of follow-up were selected. A significant and acute decrease in lymphocytes was found (p = 0.002) 1 month from RT. Patients with a drop higher than 50% of the previous value experimented a significant reduction in overall survival (55 vs 10%; p = 0.031). At the end of the follow-up, a significant increase in all blood counts was observed. With respect to renal function, an acute and significant decrease in CrCl was observed tin patients younger than 4 years who received RT (p = 0.013). However, it was not clinically relevant. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that acute lymphopenia occurs after RT and could be associated with a poorer prognosis. Other blood counts are reduced after RT and all of them are in physiological range at the end of follow-up. Our cohort presented excellent renal outcomes without any case of chronic renal dysfunction.