Anthropometric classification of pediatric cancer patients in a high-complexity hospital

Purpose: Cancer encompasses a group of diseases characterized by rapid, uncontrolled cell and tissue growth. Evidence highlights the strong link between nutritional status and disease outcomes. To describe the nutritional status of pediatric cancer patients aged 5 to 18 years using anthropometric indicators at treatment initiation and the relationship between nutritional status and the tumor type risk classification. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study. Medical records of 168 pediatric patients with cancer aged 5 to 18 years were reviewed. Height and body mass index were calculated and classified by age at diagnosis. Patients were categorized by tumor type and disease risk level. Results: A higher percentage of patients had excess weight compared to those with a weight deficit. The high-risk group had a higher percentage of excess weight compared to the standard-risk group. Thinness was most common among patients with lymphomas, while overweight was most prevalent in those with brain tumors. Statistically significant differences in mean body mass index were observed only in patients with brain tumors, particularly in the high-risk group. Conclusion: Our population had age-appropriate nutritional status. Except for brain tumors, no difference was found between nutritional status and risk classification according to tumor type.