Cognitive and behavioral risk factors for low quality of life in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background With high survival rates for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), long-term quality of life is a prominent consideration in treatment. We concurrently evaluated cognition, behavior, and quality of life in child and adolescent ALL survivors and determined associations between them. Methods The sample included 83 controls (mean age: 12.5 years) and 71 ALL survivors (mean age: 11.9 years, mean age at diagnosis: 3.8 years). Participants completed measures of general intellectual abilities, math achievement, and fine motor skills. Parents and teachers completed a survey assessing child participants’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional function. Parents additionally completed a survey about their child’s quality of life. Results Survivors had lower scores on measures of working memory, processing speed, timed math, and fine motor skills (effect size 0.5–1, p 0.7, p 0.7, p