Related Experiment Videos
Symptom assessment in children receiving cancer therapy: the parents' perspective
L Lee Dupuis1, Cindy Milne-Wren, Marilyn Cassidy
1Department of Pharmacy, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. lee.dupuis@sickkids.ca
Insights
Parents identified missing social activities and worry about treatment as the most bothersome side effects of pediatric cancer therapy. This highlights the need to address psychosocial impacts alongside physical symptoms in supportive care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Child Psychology
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Cancer treatment in children can lead to various adverse effects.
- Understanding the child's perspective on treatment burden is crucial for effective care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a tool assessing cancer treatment side effects most bothersome to children, from parents' perspectives.
- To gather parental opinions on these bothersome effects.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to parents of children (4-18 years) who received intravenous antineoplastic therapy.
- Parents ranked symptom prevalence, severity, and bother on behalf of their child.
Main Results:
- Mood swings, fatigue, and social exclusion were most prevalent and severe.
- Missing social activities and treatment-related worry were most bothersome.
- Social exclusion, worry, and musculoskeletal pain were most severe and bothersome.
Conclusions:
- Findings can inform patient/family education about cancer treatment effects.
- Data can guide policy development in pediatric cancer care.
- Results can shape research hypotheses in pediatric supportive care.
Goals Of Work:
We aimed to develop an instrument to assess cancer-treatment-related adverse effects that parents believe children find most bothersome and use it to solicit the opinions of parents regarding this issue.
Materials And Methods:
Parents of children 4 to 18 years of age who had received intravenous antineoplastic therapy in the last month were asked to rank prevalence, severity, and degree of bother of each symptom on behalf of their child using a questionnaire.
Main Results:
One hundred fifty-eight of 200 (82%) questionnaires were evaluable. The most prevalent symptoms identified were mood swings (85%), fatigue (80%), and disappointment at missing activities with friends/peers (74%). These symptoms were also most commonly identified as being significantly severe. Symptoms most commonly identified as the most bothersome were disappointment at missing activities with friends/peers (50%) and feeling worried about receiving treatment, procedures, or side effects (43%). Symptoms most commonly identified as the most severe and bothersome were disappointment at missing activities with friend/peers (46%); feeling worried about receiving treatment, procedures, or side effects (40%); and painful, aching, or stiff bones, joints, or muscles (36%).
Conclusions:
This information can be used when explaining the effects of cancer treatment to patients/families, creating policies regarding pediatric cancer care and framing research hypotheses in pediatric supportive care.
Related Concept Videos
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
01:26Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
02:56Treatment Resistant Cancers
02:56Treatment Resistent Cancers