Non-irradiated female survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia are at risk of long-term increases in weight and body mass index.

We report long-term, including final height, auxological data from our retrospective study of non-irradiated survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score (SDS) increases in females, due to increased weight-SDS, persisted to final height, with probable adverse long-term health outcomes. In contrast, males demonstrated increased BMI-SDS in follow-up, due to reduced height-SDS, not increased weight-SDS, but such changes had resolved by final height. Childhood ALL survivors, particularly females, are therefore at potential increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome during follow-up. We recommend that strategies to minimize weight gain should be implemented during ALL treatment.