Symptom Clusters That Included Gastrointestinal Symptoms Among Children Receiving Cancer Treatments: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Symptom Science
• Pediatric Care

Background:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) symptom cluster (SC) measurement and composition lack consistency, creating a knowledge gap.
• Understanding GI SCs is vital for effective symptom management in pediatric cancer patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing research on GI symptom clusters.
• To identify common GI and non-GI symptoms in children undergoing cancer treatment.
• To inform future research on symptom assessment and intervention.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO) through February 2022.
• Inclusion of 8 studies meeting specific criteria from 661 identified articles.
• Data extraction using a standardized form, focusing on SCs with GI symptoms and influencing factors.

Main Results:

• Identified 12 frequently reported GI and non-GI symptoms across 20 SCs.
• Calculated phi correlation coefficients to determine the strength of association between co-occurring symptoms.
• Revealed patterns of symptom co-occurrence within GI SCs.

Conclusions:

• Emphasizes the need for improved tools to comprehensively assess GI and non-GI symptoms in pediatric cancer patients.
• Recommends the development of interventions targeting shared underlying mechanisms of these symptoms.
• Highlights the importance of continued research in pediatric oncology symptom management.