Impaired muscle strength in female adolescents and young adults surviving leukemia in childhood

Background. With the improving cure rate in childhood malignancies, increasing interest has been focused on long-term survivors. To evaluate late sequelae of childhood leukemia, the muscle strength of 43 young female survivors was investigated and compared with that of 69 healthy age-matched women. The patients had been off therapy for 1 to 19 years. Methods. The anthropometric characteristics measured were height and weight, and body mass index was calculated. The maximal isometric strengths for elbow flexion, knee extension, and hand grip were measured on a special dynamometer chair. Dynamic muscular endurance was measured by pushup and situp tests. Results. The mean height of the patient…