Non-pharmacological Interventions for Pediatric Cancer Patients: A Comparative Review and Emerging Needs in India

Evidence-based research on psycho-oncology in last three decades lays emphasis upon the critical role of psychological services for better illness adjustment, improved quality of life, reduced distress and cognitive problems among the rapidly increasing pediatric cancer population.

This review aims to summarize the evidence-based psychological interventions in childhood cancer over the two decades and addresses the wide gap that existed between intervention studies worldwide and India, thus highlighting the need for research and appropriate services.

We searched electronic databases such as MedLine, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Key search terms were pediatric cancer, psycho-oncology, children with cancer + psychological intervention, or multimodal treatment, psychotherapy, cognitive training, behavioral, social skills+ feasibility study, pilot, randomized controlled trial, case study, systematic reviews.

28 full papers published between 1996 to 2016, including survivors and under-treatment children below 18 years, were reviewed. Various types of key interventions were psychosocial, physical, cognitive behavioral, cognitive, music art therapy and play therapy. Generally, intervention settings were either hospital or home, and were designed to promote psychological well-being. Psychological interventions were more in customised formats in these studies. A generic intervention module was not available for replication.

Development of culture-specific generic intervention module and using the same in randomized control studies with larger effect size are needed in India for larger coverage of patients.