Growth and Endocrinological Outcomes in Patients Who Underwent or Did Not Undergo Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Prepubertal Age

March 18, 2026 updated by: Federico Baronio, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna
This observational study evaluates growth and endocrine outcomes in pediatric oncology patients who underwent prepubertal HSCT compared to those who did not. The study focuses on final height, pubertal growth spurt, and sex hormone production, with data collected retrospectively and prospectively through standard clinical follow-up.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a key treatment for pediatric oncology patients but may lead to long-term endocrine and growth complications, including thyroid dysfunction, adrenal insufficiency, impaired bone mineral density, growth deficits, and gonadal dysfunction. This observational cohort study aims to describe growth and endocrine outcomes at specific pubertal stages in pediatric oncology patients who underwent prepubertal HSCT, compared to those who did not receive HSCT in the same age period. Primary objectives include assessing attainment of final height relative to target height, evaluating pubertal growth spurt contribution, and quantifying pubertal sex hormone production (testosterone in males, estradiol in females). Secondary objectives include comparing auxological and endocrine parameters between subgroups that did or did not reach target height, and evaluating the impact of prepubertal exposure to gonadotoxic chemotherapy on growth outcomes. Data will be collected retrospectively and prospectively at key developmental time points according to standard clinical follow-up, without study-specific interventions.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
300

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Bologna
      • Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 40138
        • IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Pediatric oncology patients who, in the prepubertal period, either underwent or did not undergo HSCT between January 2005 and December 2020, with subsequent endocrinological follow-up to assess growth progression conducted until the end of pubertal development at the Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases Program, UOC Pediatrics, IRCCS AOUBo.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Prepubertal HSCT Group - Pediatric Oncology Patients

  • HSCT performed for pediatric oncology between January 2005 and December 2020;
  • Pubertal development not yet initiated at the time of HSCT (testicular volume < 4 ml bilaterally, uterine volume < 2.5 ml).

Non-HSCT Group - Pediatric Oncology Patients

  • Diagnosis of pediatric oncology between January 2005 and December 2020;
  • No HSCT performed before the onset of pubertal development (testicular volume < 4 ml bilaterally, uterine volume < 2.5 ml) during the same period.

For Both Groups

  • Received prepubertal chemotherapy including at least one of the following agents: cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, procarbazine, cisplatin, carboplatin, melphalan, thiotepa, busulfan, treosulfan;
  • Spontaneous pubertal development with autonomous progression, without the need for exogenous hormone therapy (testosterone or estradiol);
  • Endocrinological follow-up to assess growth progression conducted until the end of pubertal development at the Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases Program, UOC Pediatrics, IRCCS AOUBo;
  • Obtain Informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Delayed puberty (testicular volume < 4 ml at age > 14 years or Tanner stage 2 breast development at age > 13 years) requiring exogenous hormone therapy with testosterone or estradiol;
  • For pediatric oncology patients not undergoing prepubertal HSCT, having received HSCT during pubertal development.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
To assess whether pediatric oncology patients, who underwent or did not undergo prepubertal HSCT, achieve a final height (FH) within their target height (TH) range.
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years
Height (cm, SDS)
Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years
To assess whether the pubertal growth spurt, defined as the phase of maximum growth velocity, provides a sufficient contribution for pediatric oncology patients, who underwent or did not undergo prepubertal HSCT, to achieve their target height (TH).
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years
Height (cm, SDS)
Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years
To quantify pubertal testosterone or estradiol production in pediatric oncology patients, who underwent or did not undergo prepubertal HSCT, in order to assess its adequacy in supporting linear growth.
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years
Height (cm, SDS)
Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
To describe the impact of chemotherapy on growth outcomes in pediatric oncology patients who underwent or did not undergo prepubertal HSCT.
Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years
Height (cm, SDS)
Through study completion, an average of 10.5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 13, 2036

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 13, 2036

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 18, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • GRACE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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