Underweight, Overweight, and Linear Growth of Childhood Cancer Patients - the Growth Study

NCT07750444 | Active Not Recruiting

• 3 other identifiers: GROWTH10.007.011KFS-6351-02-2025-R
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 12,150
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 11

Brief Summary

The Growth study investigates nutritional status, BMI, and linear growth trajectories from birth to adulthood in childhood cancer patients and survivors. Specifically, it aims to identify the predictors driving these distinct growth and weight trajectories and evaluate the consistency of these findings across multiple European countries. The study will make use of routine collected clinical data from oncology centres. Additional information about diagnoses, treatments, sociodemographic, and lifestyle data are obtained by linkages with disease and population registries, and with previously conducted questionnaire studies among survivors. The study will provide insights into the nutritional status of childhood cancer patients and survivors and improve understanding of growth patterns in this population.

Conditions

Childhood Cancer

Keywords

Nutritional status; Underweight; Overweight; Obesity; Linear growth; Survivorship; Late effects; Cancer treatment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Body Mass Index z-score, Height z-score, Weight z-score

  Body Mass Index calculated as weight in kg divided by height in meters, squared. z-scores calculated according to country-specific and international growth references. Height z-scores and weight z-scores calculated according to country-specific and international growth references.

  Through study completion, an expected average of 20 years

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Risk factors associated with underweight, overweight, and impaired linear growth in childhood cancer patients and survivors

  Through study completion, an expected average of 20 years

Study Arms (1)

Childhood cancer patients and survivors

Children diagnosed with cancer before age 20 between 2004-2026, who visited at a participating clinic in Switzerland, Portugal, or Slovenia

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients diagnosed before age 20 with leukaemia, lymphoma, central nervous system tumours, or malignant solid tumours, in Switzerland, Portugal, or Slovenia.

You may qualify if:

• Diagnosed with cancer at age \<20 years
• Diagnosed between 2004 and 2026
• Treated in one of the participating cancer centres:
• Switzerland: patients who visited one of the cancer centres in Switzerland: Aarau, Basel, Bellinzona, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Zurich.
• Portugal: patients diagnosed between 2012-2026 at the Portuguese paediatric oncology centres Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto Francisco Gentil - IPO-PORTO or at the Instituto Português de Oncologia Francisco Gentil - IPOLFG.
• Slovenia: patients diagnosed between 2011-2026 at the paediatric oncology clinic University Medical Center Ljubljana.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fabiën Belle: lead
• Kinderklinik, Inselspital Bern: collaborator
• Kantonsspital Aarau AG: collaborator
• Kinderspital Zentralschweiz: collaborator
• University Hospital, Geneva: collaborator
• Ostschweizer Kinderspital: collaborator
• Universitäts-Kinderspital Zürich: collaborator
• Ospedale Regionale di Bellinzona: collaborator
• Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV): collaborator
• Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel (UKBB): collaborator
• HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Kantonsspital St. Gallen: collaborator

Study Sites (11)

Kantonsspital Aarau AG

Aarau, Aarau, 5001, Switzerland

Location

Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel (UKBB)

Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland

Location

Kinderklinik, Inselspital Bern

Bern, Canton of Bern, 3010, Switzerland

Location

Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), Universität Bern

Bern, Canton of Bern, 3012, Switzerland

Location

Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG)

Geneva, Canton of Geneva, 1205, Switzerland

Location

Kinderspital Zentralschweiz, Luzern

Lucerne, Canton of Lucerne, 6004, Switzerland

Location

HOCH Health Ostschweiz Kantonsspital St.Gallen

Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland

Location

Ostschweizer Kinderspital

Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, 9006, Switzerland

Location

Kinderspital Zürich

Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8008, Switzerland

Location

Ospedale Regionale di Bellinzona

Bellinzona, Canton Ticino, 6500, Switzerland

Location

Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV)

Lausanne, Lausanne, 1005, Switzerland

Location

Related Links

• Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry
• Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (SCCSS) - Growth study

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms; Thinness; Overweight; Obesity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Study Officials

• Fabiën N. Belle, PD PhD

  ISPM Bern/ Unibe

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Christina Schindera, PD MD PhD

  ISPM Bern/ Unibe, UKBB

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: OTHER
• Target Duration: 20 Years
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PD Dr.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 13, 2026
• First Posted: August 6, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2030
• Last Updated: August 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CH (11)