Hypoalbuminemia in children with cancer treated with chemotherapy.

Background: Hypoalbuminemia is a well-recognized finding associated with cancer, but its prevalence and prognostic significance have not been well studied in children with cancer.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia prior to starting chemotherapy in children with cancer and its association with relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

Design/method: We performed a single institution, IRB-approved, retrospective review of pediatric oncology patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2012.