M. Constantine Samaan
McMaster University, Canada
Title: Defining the risk factors of cardiometabolic risk in survivors of childhood brain tumors
Biography
Biography: M. Constantine Samaan
Abstract
More than 5,000 children are diagnosed annually with brain tumors in North America. Despite significant breakthroughs in tumor biology and in therapy, survivors of childhood brain tumors (SCBT) have significant comorbidities that shorten their lifespan and affect their quality of life. Survivors of childhood cancer are at risk of cardiovascular and diabetes, but this is less well studied in brain tumor survivors. The Canadian Study of the Determinants of Endometabolic health in Children (CanDECIDE) was designed to investigate the risk factors of cardiometabolic disorders in SCBT, and compare them to a non-caner control group. In recent analyses, female SCBT were found to have enhanced visceral adiposity compared to controls. The presence of a major cardiometabolic risk factor within few years post surviving a brain tumor is an important determinant of long-term outcomes in SCBT. We discuss the implications of these findings, potential explanations and future directions.