Body composition assessment of children undergoing treatment for cancer

• Register: ANZCTR
• Last refreshed on: 13 January 2020
• Main ID: ACTRN12614001279617
• Date of registration: 05/12/2014
• Prospective Registration: No
• Primary sponsor: Dr Alexia Murphy
• Public title: Body composition assessment of children undergoing treatment for cancer
• Scientific title: Study to examine the body composition of children undergoing treatment for cancer
• Date of first enrolment: 14/12/2004
• Target sample size: 64
• Recruitment status: Completed
• URL: https://anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12614001279617.aspx
• Study type: Observational
• Study design: Purpose: Natural history;Duration: Cross-sectional;Selection: Convenience sample;Timing: Prospective;
• Phase: Not Applicable

Countries of recruitment

Australia

Contacts

• Name: Dr Alexia Murphy

• Name: Dr Alexia Murphy

Key inclusion & exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1) Being treated for cancer at Royal Children's Hospital
Exclusion criteria: 2) Too unwell to undergo testing

Age minimum: 5 Years
Age maximum: 18 Years
Gender: Both males and females

Health Condition(s) or Problem(s) studied

Cancer - Children's - Leukaemia & Lymphoma

Cancer - Children's - Brain

Cancer - Children's - Other

Cancer;
Cancer

Intervention(s)

All children participating in the study will have their height and weight measured on arrival at the centre. The Paediatric Oncology Assessment Tool will be completed before any body composition measurements are taken. Mid arm circumferences will be taken using a tape measure and following standard guidelines. Skinfolds will be measured using calibrated calipers and following the strict standard site protocol. Measurements will be taken at the biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac sites.

Total body potassium (TBK) analysis will be performed using a shadow shield whole-body counter (Accuscan, Canberra Industries, MA, USA), which contains three sodium iodide crystal scintillation detectors arranged above a scanning bed. The crystals detect the 1.46MeV gamma rays being emitted by the potassium-40 (40K) found in the body. As a fixed proportion of the body’s potassium occurs as the natural isotope 40K, TBK can be determined. The measurement of TBK will require the subject to lie supine on a bed that is moved under the detectors. Two 1100sec scans will be performed for each subject with all personal metallic objects having been removed. Background and sensitivity checks will be completed daily and considered in each measurement, with TBK in grams being reported. Body cell mass (BCM) will then be calculated from TBK and adjusted for body size (BCM/HTp). BCM/HTp will be expressed as a Z score relative to laboratory reference data.

ADP measurement will be performed using the Bod Pod (registered trademark) Body Composition System, adhering to the manufacturer’s instructions (Life Measurement Inc, Concord, CA, USA; software version 1.69). Prior to each measurement, the Bod Pod will be calibrated at zero litres and with a standard calibration cylinder of 50

Primary Outcome(s)

Body Mass Index[During Treatment - cross sectional study]

Percent Fat using air displacement plethysmography (bodpod)[During treatment - cross sectional study]

Body Cell Mass using total body potassium counting[During treatment - Cross-sectional study]

Secondary Outcome(s)

Nil[Nil]

Secondary ID(s)

Nil known

Source(s) of Monetary Support

Children's Nutrition Research Centre, The University of Queensland

Secondary Sponsor(s)

Prof Peter Davies

Ethics review

Status: Approved
Approval date:
Contact: