Physician referral frequency for physical therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at risk for developing musculoskeletal complications. Few studies have examined the role of physical therapy (PT) for addressing these complications. The study objective was to examine why and when in the medical treatment, children with ALL receive a referral to PT. Retrospective chart review of 35 children, diagnosed with ALL in 2006 and 2007 at Penn State Children's Hospital was carried out. A questionnaire was completed by 6 pediatric oncologists, to identify their referral patterns. The chart review demonstrated that 25 of the 35 patients had reports of musculoskeletal complications sometime during their treatment, but only 10 (30%) were referred to PT. The most common reason for referral was decreased functional mobility. Patients were referred evenly through all phases of therapy. Vincristine was reduced in 5 patients, the most common cause being peripheral neuropathy and foot drop. The majority (5/6) of the physicians reported that they "sometimes" refer patients to PT, through different phases of therapy, with 1/3 reporting all phases. The results show that although physicians identified the musculoskeletal complications, only a minority of patients were referred for PT. This supports the need for increasing the awareness of physicians about benefits of early integration of PT into the medical treatment.