Body Composition at Diagnosis and Early Response in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma

Wadhwa A, Dai C, Kessel S, Richman JS, Shen W, Kahn JM, Castellino SM, Kelly KM, Friedman DL, Bhatia S. Body Composition at Diagnosis and Early Response in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2025 Apr 3;34(4):560-567. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-24-1231. PMID: 39817816; PMCID: PMC11968239.

The association between skeletal muscle and adipose tissue (body composition) and early response using positron emission tomography (PET) in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) remains unstudied. Patients enrolled on Children’s Oncology Group studies AHOD0031 (intermediate-risk HL) and AHOD0831 (high-risk HL) with digital abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans at diagnosis and PET scans after 2 cycles (PET2) were included. Two consecutive slices at the third lumbar vertebra were identified and skeletal muscle index (SMI, in cm2/m2) and total adipose tissue index (TATI, in cm2/m2) were calculated using sliceOmatic (Magog, Canada) and height at diagnosis. SMI and TATI were divided into quintiles (Q1 [lowest] to Q5 [highest]). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using height and weight at diagnosis. The association between baseline body composition (SMI, TATI, BMI) and positive PET2 was examined using logistic regression, adjusting for age at diagnosis, sex, race/ethnicity, stage, histology, bulk disease and ‘B’ symptoms.