Psycho oncology pediatric

IMPORTANCE: A cancer diagnosis and treatment may result in highly traumatic periods with lasting psychological consequences for children, adolescent, and young adult patients with cancer (CYACs). Early identification and management may prevent long-term psychological morbidity and suicide. OBJECTIVE: To analyze risk, severity, and risk factors for depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders, and suicide in CYACs and noncancer comparators. DATA SOURCES: Literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed Central from January 1, 2000, to November 18, 2022...

OBJECTIVE: Childhood cancer confronts families with major challenges. The study aimed at developing an empirical and multi-perspective understanding of emotional and behavioral problems of cancer survivors diagnosed with leukemia and brain tumors and their siblings. Further, the concordance between child self-report and parent proxy-report was examined. METHODS: 140 children (72 survivors, 68 siblings) and 309 parents were included in the analysis (respond rate: 34%)...

PURPOSE: Despite advances in cancer treatment, there is a prevalence of pediatric childhood cancer survivors still at risk of developing adverse disease and treatment outcomes, even after the end of treatment. The present study aimed to (1) explore how mothers and fathers assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of their surviving child and (2) evaluate risk factors for poor parent-reported HRQoL in childhood cancer survivors about 2.5 years after diagnosis. METHODS: We assessed parent-reported HRQoL of 305 child and adolescent survivors < 18 years diagnosed with leukemia or tumors of central nervous system (CNS) with the KINDL-R questionnaire in a prospective observational study with a longitudinal mixed-methods design...

OBJECTIVE: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is highly distressing and potentially traumatizing for pediatric and young adult patients (PYAP). At present, there is little evidence on their individual burdens. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, the course of the psychological and somatic distress was investigated on eight observation days (day -8/-12, -5, 0 (day of HSCT), +10, +20, and + 30 before/after HSCT), using the PO-Bado external rating scale and the EORTC-QLQ-C15-PAL self-assessment questionnaire...

OBJECTIVE: To assess perceptions of ethical climate, experiences of moral distress, and intentions to leave among healthcare professionals in Nordic pediatric oncology care. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey with registered nurses, physicians, and nursing assistants at 20 Nordic pediatric cancer centers. Data were collected by using translated versions of the Swedish Hospital Ethical Climate Survey-Shortened and the Swedish Moral Distress Scale-Revised. Descriptive analyses and non-parametric tests were used to describe, summarize, and compare data...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a Resilience Scale for Parents of Children with Cancer (RSP-CC) designed specifically for parents of children with cancer and to evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS: Based on the Resilience Model for Families of Children with Cancer, items were created after an extensive literature review and evaluated through expert consultation and a pilot study. Psychometric evaluation was conducted with the parents of 601 children with cancer in the pediatric hematology oncology services of different hospitals in the Ankara and Kayseri provinces in Turkey...

Previous literature highlights the impact of COVID-19 on family functioning. Less is known about the impact of the pandemic on families of pediatric cancer patients. In order to determine universal and unique risk and resilience factors of these families during the pandemic, a qualitative analysis was conducted on families currently receiving cancer treatment at a Midwestern hospital. Results of the data analysis depict ways in which these families have been impacted by and have adapted to COVID-19. These findings suggest that families of pediatric cancer patients have unique experiences in the context of COVID-19, in addition to universal experiences outlined in previous literature...

BACKGROUND: Caregivers and adolescents and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors may be at greater psychosocial risk from the COVID-19 pandemic than healthy peers due to complex and traumatic medical histories. This study describes COVID-19-related event exposures, impact, and distress among a large sample of caregivers and AYA cancer survivors and the relationship of these variables to demographic and cancer characteristics. PROCEDURE: From May 2020 to December 2021, 422 caregivers and 531 AYA survivors completed the COVID-19 Exposures and Family Impact Survey (CEFIS) and CEFIS-AYA, respectively...

To provide an effective alternative to sedation during MRI examinations in pediatric cancer and NF1 patients, the aims of the present study were to (1) exploratively evaluate a behavioral MRI training program, to (2) investigate potential moderators, as well as to (3) assess the patients' well-being over the course of the intervention. A total of n = 87 patients of the neuro-oncology unit (mean age: 6.83 years) underwent a two-step MRI preparation program, including training inside the scanner, and were recorded using a process-oriented screening...

Hereditary cancer predisposition accounts for more than 10% of all cancers in pediatric age group and this is increasingly recognized as an important entity because of modern sequencing techniques. We report a rare association of two concurrent cancer predisposition syndromes, BRCA2 and PMS2, in a young child who presented with concurrent malignancies including Wilms tumor, myelodysplastic syndrome and an indeterminate brain lesion who succumbed to his disease. Multiple synchronous malignancies present difficult clinical and psycho-social challenges which need to be carefully addressed in the setting of a multi-disciplinary team approach...

BACKGROUND: Children living with parental cancer are at an increased risk for various psychosocial, emotional, and behavioural problems. However, research regarding how children are affected by their parent's diagnosis is still developing and patients' children are typically invisible in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate how children are affected by their parent's cancer diagnosis, from children's perspectives. METHODS: Informed by methods of grounded theory and embedded within a social constructivist framework, twelve children (ranging from 5 to 17 years) living with a parent with cancer were interviewed using a semi-structured format assisted by a novel approach derived from play- and art-based developmental literature...

We sought to determine differences by low- and middle- income countries (Brazil, Romania, and Turkiye) on the degree to which health care providers (HCPs) note unmet needs among patients with cancer (N = 741). HCPs endorsed sexuality/intimacy and financial concerns as the most common. Investigating age differences in unmet needs between Brazil and Turkiye, were that should be targeted by. Results revealed that unmet needs to manage emotional distress were higher among older patients in Turkiye, whereas unmet needs to manage insomnia/fatigue were higher among pediatric patients in Brazil...

BACKGROUND: Despite rising childhood cancer incidence, low-middle income countries often fall short of quality resources to prioritize and develop psycho-oncology services. Patients and families suffering from cancer are subject to great psychological distress and require continuous psychosocial support. Unfortunately, a lack of mental health awareness and trained providers remains a pertinent issue in resource-strained countries such as Pakistan. METHODS: IHHN has a well-established Psychosocial Department for pediatric oncology patients...

OBJECTIVE: We examined the social network support, composition, and structure of pediatric cancer caregivers. METHODS: We used a self-report survey to collect egocentric social network data from 107 caregivers of pediatric cancer patients and calculated descriptive statistics to examine cancer-related support network composition, function, and structure. We then ran logistic regressions to examine the relationships between network characteristics and overall satisfaction with social support...

BACKGROUND: Young adult childhood cancer survivors (YACCS) are a vulnerable group in need of psychosocial support, but tailored interventions are lacking. AIM: To examine feasibility and satisfaction, and to explore preliminary effectiveness of an online group intervention ( Op Koers Online for YACCS ) aimed at teaching active coping skills and providing peer-contact, thereby reducing and preventing psychosocial problems in YACCS. The intervention is based on psycho-education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and aspects of acceptance and commitment therapy...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare psychological characteristics of adolescent patients with Juvenile Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JFM) with individuals suffering from chronic pain (CP) due to headache or joint pain in the lower limbs unrelated to oncological, inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. METHODS: The study was conducted on 37 patients aged 13 to 18 years old, monitored at the Pain Therapy Outpatient Clinic of the "Bambino Gesù" Pediatric Hospital in Rome...

PURPOSE: This international study aimed to compare healthcare professionals' perspectives on the unmet needs of their cancer patients with those of family caregivers and to investigate the degree to which patients' age group moderates the associations. METHODS: Healthcare professionals involved in the care for cancer patients and their family caregivers were invited to participate in the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) Survivorship Online Survey. A total of 397 healthcare professionals from 34 countries provided valid study data...

INTRODUCTION: Parents of children with cancer face psychological challenges that can result in significant distress. It has been found that problem-solving (PS) could mitigate emotional distress (ED) in this population, but mechanisms of this relation are poorly understood. This study aimed to assess whether there is a link between PS and ED through perceived control and self-efficacy. METHODS: We included 119 parents (67 mothers, 52 fathers, including 50 couples) whose child was diagnosed with cancer...

OBJECTIVE: To describe HRQoL, post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth of parents of long-term survivors of childhood cancer and study associated factors. METHODS: Parents of survivors of the Dutch Childhood Cancer Survivor Study LATER cohort below 30 years and diagnosed 1986-2001 were invited to complete the TNO-AZL Questionnaire for Adult's HRQoL (e.g. sleep and aggressive emotions), Self-Rating Scale for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, and Illness Cognition Questionnaire...

INTRODUCTION: When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is affected, and parents struggle to grasp challenging information regarding diagnosis and prognosis. Most parents and children want honest communication and openness, yet this remains a complex and challenging task for healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVES: To describe bereaved mothers' and fathers' reports of communication of their child's cancer diagnosis and when the illness became incurable...