Childhood CancerGrowthNCT07750444
Underweight, Overweight, and Linear Growth of Childhood Cancer Patients - the Growth Study
An observational study of Childhood Cancer, run by Fabiën Belle at 11 sites in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The Growth study investigates nutritional status, BMI, and linear growth trajectories from birth to adulthood in childhood cancer patients and survivors. Specifically, it aims to identify the predictors driving these distinct growth and weight trajectories and evaluate the consistency of these findings across multiple… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Childhood Cancer
- How many people
- 12,150 participants
- Where
- 11 sitesSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2025to Dec 2030
- How long will I take part?
- 20 Years
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Patients diagnosed before age 20 with leukaemia, lymphoma, central nervous system tumours, or malignant solid tumours, in Switzerland, Portugal, or Slovenia.
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosed with cancer at age <20 years
- Diagnosed between 2004 and 2026
- Treated in one of the participating cancer centres:
- Switzerland: patients who visited one of the cancer centres in Switzerland: Aarau, Basel, Bellinzona, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Zurich.
- Portugal: patients diagnosed between 2012-2026 at the Portuguese paediatric oncology centres Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto Francisco Gentil - IPO-PORTO or at the Instituto Português de Oncologia Francisco Gentil - IPOLFG.
- Slovenia: patients diagnosed between 2011-2026 at the paediatric oncology clinic University Medical Center Ljubljana.
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
11 sites in 1 country.
11 sites in 1 country
Switzerland11 sites
Kantonsspital Aarau AG
Aarau, Aarau, 5001
Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel (UKBB)
Basel, Basel, 4031
Ospedale Regionale di Bellinzona
Bellinzona, Canton Ticino, 6500
Kinderklinik, Inselspital Bern
Bern, Canton of Bern, 3010
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), Universität Bern
Bern, Canton of Bern, 3012
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG)
Geneva, Canton of Geneva, 1205
Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV)
Lausanne, Lausanne, 1005
Kinderspital Zentralschweiz, Luzern
Lucerne, Canton of Lucerne, 6004
HOCH Health Ostschweiz Kantonsspital St.Gallen
Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, 9000
Ostschweizer Kinderspital
Sankt Gallen, Canton of St. Gallen, 9006
Kinderspital Zürich
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8008
About this study
The Growth study investigates nutritional status, BMI, and linear growth trajectories from birth to adulthood in childhood cancer patients and survivors. Specifically, it aims to identify the predictors driving these distinct growth and weight trajectories and evaluate the consistency of these findings across multiple European countries.
The study will make use of routine collected clinical data from oncology centres. Additional information about diagnoses, treatments, sociodemographic, and lifestyle data are obtained by linkages with disease and population registries, and with previously conducted questionnaire studies among survivors.
The study will provide insights into the nutritional status of childhood cancer patients and survivors and improve understanding of growth patterns in this population.
Read the detailed description
Background: Underweight, overweight, and obesity occur frequently after childhood cancer diagnosis, and are common during and after cancer treatment. Childhood is a critical period for growth and development, which can be disrupted by cancer, treatment side effects, and increased physical demands. Poor nutritional status before and during treatment can in turn lead to complications, including infections, treatment-related toxicities, and reduced survival. However, scientific evidence on weight status and growth trajectories in childhood cancer patients and survivors remains limited. Previous studies have been small, focused on specific cancer types, or lacked objectively measured longitudinal data.
Electronic health records (EHRs) are routinely collected during clinical visits in hospitals. They provide an opportunity for clinical research, as they guarantee repeated and reliable records of clinically relevant factors, such as height, weight, and treatments received. In many European countries, such as Switzerland, Portugal, and Slovenia, hospitals and clinical data warehouses are making EHRs available and linkable to additional data sources (e.g., registries) via unique identifiers. The availability of standardized, semantically interoperable routine data from paediatric hospitals offers an unprecedented opportunity to investigate nutritional status across all childhood cancer types, treatment regimens, and critical time windows.
Objectives: The study will investigate nutritional status, body mass index (BMI), and linear growth trajectories from birth to adulthood in childhood cancer patients and survivors. It will identify predictors associated with distinct growth and weight trajectories and assess the consistency of findings across European countries.
Methods: The Growth study will collect routinely recorded sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric data from children and adolescents cancer patients (aged <20 years) diagnosed between 2004-2026, by linking data from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry (ChCR), the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (SCCSS), the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), and oncology clinics in Switzerland, Portugal, and Slovenia. Deterministic linkage of data sources (ChCR, SCCSS, and oncology clinics) and probabilistic linkage with FSO data using patients' names, sex, and age will be performed.
The investigators will calculate age- and sex-specific z-scores for weight, height, and BMI based on country-specific and World Health Organization growth references. Group-based trajectory modelling will be applied to identify distinct growth and weight trajectories and to detect subgroups at increased risk of growth impairment. The investigators will use multinomial logistic regression models to identify predictors of impaired growth.
Rationale and significance: The Growth study will provide insights into the nutritional status of childhood cancer patients and survivors and improve understanding of growth patterns in this population. By providing a comprehensive overview of BMI and growth patterns and their predictors across different cancer types, this study will identify tumours, treatments, and critical time windows of concern. Identifying high risk groups and tumour- or treatment-related factors will facilitate cross-country comparisons and inform targeted surveillance strategies and early nutritional interventions.
Current status (07.2026): The investigators expect to obtain routinely collected data from approximately 12,150 childhood cancer patients and survivors - 7,450 from Switzerland, 3,750 from Portugal, and 950 from Slovenia.
Funding: Swiss Cancer Research (KFS-6351-02-2025-R) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF, 10.007.011).
- Conditions
- Childhood Cancer
- Keywords
- Nutritional status, Underweight, Overweight, Obesity, Linear growth, Survivorship, Late effects, Cancer treatment
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms, Thinness, Overweight, Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Childhood cancer patients and survivors | Children diagnosed with cancer before age 20 between 2004-2026, who visited at a participating clinic in Switzerland, Portugal, or Slovenia |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Body Mass Index z-score, Height z-score, Weight z-score
Body Mass Index calculated as weight in kg divided by height in meters, squared.
z-scores calculated according to country-specific and international growth references.
Height z-scores and weight z-scores calculated according to country-specific and international growth references.
Measured: Through study completion, an expected average of 20 years
Secondary outcomes (1)
Risk factors associated with underweight, overweight, and impaired linear growth in childhood cancer patients and survivors
Association of underweight, overweight, and impaired linear growth with risk factors like age at diagnosis, socioeconomic status, BMI at diagnosis, craniospinal and abdominal radiotherapy, and corticosteroids
Measured: Through study completion, an expected average of 20 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Aug 2026
- Study start1 Oct 2025
- Primary completionNov 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Childhood CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Other
- Enrolment
- 12,150 participants (estimated)
- Target duration
- 20 Years
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Fabiën Belle
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Kinderklinik, Inselspital Bern, Kantonsspital Aarau AG, Kinderspital Zentralschweiz, University Hospital, Geneva, Ostschweizer Kinderspital, Universitäts-Kinderspital Zürich, Ospedale Regionale di Bellinzona, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV), Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel (UKBB), HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Kantonsspital St. Gallen
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Fabiën Belle, University of Bern
- Investigators
- Fabiën N. Belle, PD PhD, Principal investigator, ISPM Bern/ UnibeChristina Schindera, PD MD PhD, Principal investigator, ISPM Bern/ Unibe, UKBB
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07750444
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- GROWTH
- Other IDs
- 10.007.011, KFS-6351-02-2025-R
- Acronym
- Growth
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 13 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 6 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Rare disease
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Underweight, Overweight, and Linear Growth of Childhood Cancer Patients - the Growth Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07750444
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Growth / GROWTH
- Conditions
- Childhood Cancer
- Keywords
- Nutritional status, Underweight, Overweight, Obesity, Linear growth, Survivorship, Late effects, Cancer treatment
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 12,150 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Fabiën BelleUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Kinderklinik, Inselspital Bern, Kantonsspital Aarau AG, Kinderspital Zentralschweiz, University Hospital, Geneva, Ostschweizer Kinderspital, Universitäts-Kinderspital Zürich, Ospedale Regionale di Bellinzona, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV), Universitäts-Kinderspital beider Basel (UKBB), HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Kantonsspital St. Gallen
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Nov 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 6 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The Growth study investigates nutritional status, BMI, and linear growth trajectories from birth to adulthood in childhood cancer patients and survivors. Specifically, it aims to identify the predictors driving these distinct growth and weight trajectories and evaluate the consistency of these findings across multiple European countries.
The study will make use of routine collected clinical data from oncology centres. Additional information about diagnoses, treatments, sociodemographic, and lifestyle data are obtained by linkages with disease and population registries, and with previously conducted questionnaire studies among survivors.
The study will provide insights into the nutritional status of childhood cancer patients and survivors and improve understanding of growth patterns in this population.
Detailed description
Background: Underweight, overweight, and obesity occur frequently after childhood cancer diagnosis, and are common during and after cancer treatment. Childhood is a critical period for growth and development, which can be disrupted by cancer, treatment side effects, and increased physical demands. Poor nutritional status before and during treatment can in turn lead to complications, including infections, treatment-related toxicities, and reduced survival. However, scientific evidence on weight status and growth trajectories in childhood cancer patients and survivors remains limited. Previous studies have been small, focused on specific cancer types, or lacked objectively measured longitudinal data.
Electronic health records (EHRs) are routinely collected during clinical visits in hospitals. They provide an opportunity for clinical research, as they guarantee repeated and reliable records of clinically relevant factors, such as height, weight, and treatments received. In many European countries, such as Switzerland, Portugal, and Slovenia, hospitals and clinical data warehouses are making EHRs available and linkable to additional data sources (e.g., registries) via unique identifiers. The availability of standardized, semantically interoperable routine data from paediatric hospitals offers an unprecedented opportunity to investigate nutritional status across all childhood cancer types, treatment regimens, and critical time windows.
Objectives: The study will investigate nutritional status, body mass index (BMI), and linear growth trajectories from birth to adulthood in childhood cancer patients and survivors. It will identify predictors associated with distinct growth and weight trajectories and assess the consistency of findings across European countries.
Methods: The Growth study will collect routinely recorded sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric data from children and adolescents cancer patients (aged <20 years) diagnosed between 2004-2026, by linking data from the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry (ChCR), the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (SCCSS), the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), and oncology clinics in Switzerland, Portugal, and Slovenia. Deterministic linkage of data sources (ChCR, SCCSS, and oncology clinics) and probabilistic linkage with FSO data using patients' names, sex, and age will be performed.
The investigators will calculate age- and sex-specific z-scores for weight, height, and BMI based on country-specific and World Health Organization growth references. Group-based trajectory modelling will be applied to identify distinct growth and weight trajectories and to detect subgroups at increased risk of growth impairment. The investigators will use multinomial logistic regression models to identify predictors of impaired growth.
Rationale and significance: The Growth study will provide insights into the nutritional status of childhood cancer patients and survivors and improve understanding of growth patterns in this population. By providing a comprehensive overview of BMI and growth patterns and their predictors across different cancer types, this study will identify tumours, treatments, and critical time windows of concern. Identifying high risk groups and tumour- or treatment-related factors will facilitate cross-country comparisons and inform targeted surveillance strategies and early nutritional interventions.
Current status (07.2026): The investigators expect to obtain routinely collected data from approximately 12,150 childhood cancer patients and survivors - 7,450 from Switzerland, 3,750 from Portugal, and 950 from Slovenia.
Funding: Swiss Cancer Research (KFS-6351-02-2025-R) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF, 10.007.011).
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Other
- Target follow-up
- 20 Years
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Childhood cancer patients and survivors | – | –Children diagnosed with cancer before age 20 between 2004-2026, who visited at a participating clinic in Switzerland, Portugal, or Slovenia |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Patients diagnosed before age 20 with leukaemia, lymphoma, central nervous system tumours, or malignant solid tumours, in Switzerland, Portugal, or Slovenia.
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Diagnosed with cancer at age <20 years
- Diagnosed between 2004 and 2026
- Treated in one of the participating cancer centres:
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Body Mass Index z-score, Height z-score, Weight z-score
Time frame: Through study completion, an expected average of 20 years
Body Mass Index calculated as weight in kg divided by height in meters, squared. z-scores calculated according to country-specific and international growth references. Height z-scores and weight z-scores calculated according to country-specific and international growth references.
1 secondary outcome
Risk factors associated with underweight, overweight, and impaired linear growth in childhood cancer patients and survivors
Time frame: Through study completion, an expected average of 20 years
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Aug 2026.
- Swiss Childhood Cancer RegistryLink provided by the sponsor.
- Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (SCCSS) - Growth studyLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Rare disease
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Fabiën N. Belle, PD PhD principal investigator
ISPM Bern/ Unibe
Christina Schindera, PD MD PhD principal investigator
ISPM Bern/ Unibe, UKBB
11 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Childhood Cancer, run by Fabiën Belle at 11 sites in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 11 sites in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Body Mass Index z-score, Height z-score, Weight z-score (time frame: Through study completion, an expected average of 20 years). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Aug 2026.