Sevelamer is an Effective Drug in Treating Hyperphosphatemia Due to Tumor Lysis Syndrome in Children: A Developing World Experience

We report here a study on efficacy of sevelamer hydrochloride in treating hyperphosphatemia due to tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in a developing world setting. Twenty one children with hyperphosphatemia due to TLS were included. All received hyper-hydration, allopurinol and sevelamer. Efficacy was assessed by decrease in serum phosphate level, calcium-phosphate product and TLS score as per Cairo Bishop definition. Four children who underwent dialysis were excluded from analysis. Among the remaining 17 patients with hyperphosphatemia, laboratory TLS was recorded in 15 patients and clinical TLS in five. Sevelamer was given according to weight, most often 400 mg twice to thrice daily. Mean phosphatemia decreased from 8.3 ± 3.0 to 6.7 ± 2.1 mg/dl within 24 h of starting sevelamer (p = 0.02), 6.0 ± 2.1 mg/dl at 48 h, 4.9 ± 1.5 mg/dl at 72 h and 4.39 ± 1.7 mg/dl at 96 h. TLS was corrected in 72 h in 14 patients, 96 h in 1 and 120 h in another patient. Mean calcium-phosphate product decreased from 63.0 ± 14.0 to 49.2 ± 9.7 mg/dl (p = 0.002) at 24 h, 46.1 ± 17.0 mg/dl at 48 h and 39.7 ± 13.5 mg/dl at 72 h. There was no mortality due to hyperphosphatemia. Sevelamer is efficacious in children with malignancy-associated hyperphosphatemia in the developing world.