Hyperglycemia during induction of acute lymphocytic leukemia

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Hyperglycemia is a well recognized complication during induction therapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and recent studies have shown that it is a risk factor in several other acute illnesses. In this issue of The Journal, Sonabend et al from Baylor College of Medicine have investigated whether children with ALL who develop hyperglycemia during induction have worse clinical outcomes. They have shown that 34% of their patients developed overt hyperglycemia and these children had poorer relapse-free and overall survival. It appears that overt hyperglycemia is an independent predictor of survival in children with ALL, and there is a place to study whether tighter control of blood sugars would improve outcomes.

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