According to the study in Cancer Research childhood leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer. This cancer currently affects over 2000 children in the United States each year.
According to the study's lead researcher Steven D. Mittelman, M.D., Ph.D, the study could not only have important implications for cancer treatment, but could also help to shed some light on the relapse rate in obese cancer patients.
It has long been known that obesity leads to increased disease risk for various kinds of diseases. This fact does not change in smaller bodies. Preventing obesity in children will help to curb their risk of disease and, once a disease is present, prevention will aid in fighting it. "Obesity could increase cancer incidence and mortality through a variety of ways. It may impair the immune system's ability to stop cancer, or predispose cells to become cancerous," says Mittleman. "Once you have cancer, and if you are obese, the fat cells themselves may impair the ability of chemotherapy to fight cancerous cells." In fact, inspiration for the study came from a previous study by Anna Butturini, M.D, indicating that children who were obese had a 50 percent higher chance of relapse than their lean counterparts.
The Study
According to Mittleman, the study seemed to show that during chemotherapy the leukemia had a tendency to "hide out" in the fat cells, making it less effective when fat cells were nearby. "These four [chemotherapy] drugs attack leukemia cells by different routes, so when we saw fat cells blocking them we realized there could be an important mechanism promoting their ability to live and divide," said Mittleman. "We were surprised to find leukemia cells in the fat tissue."
Mittleman still hopes to uncover more about the interaction and communication of the leukemia cells and the safe environment provided them by fat cells.
The cause of childhood leukemia is yet unknown. Studies have explored possible environmental causes including ionizing radiation (that found in x-rays and gamma rays), pesticides, secondhand smoke, genetic factors, and others. One study "Risk Factors for Acute Leukemia in Children: A Review," published in Environmental Health Perspective, was inconclusive in finding risk factors except for ionizing radiation. Further studies are warranted and will hopefully produce better results.
What can parents do to protect their children? Education, proper diet and protection from environmental hazards will all increase awareness and health and wellness in our children while science continues to provide vital research.
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