Changes in Symptom Clusters Over the Course of Chemotherapy in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A
Insights
Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) patients experience evolving symptom clusters during chemotherapy. Understanding these changes is key for improving treatment and patient care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Symptom Management
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) presents diverse symptoms impacting quality of life and treatment outcomes.
- Effective management requires understanding symptom dynamics throughout therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate symptom progression in pediatric ALL patients undergoing chemotherapy.
- To identify evolving symptom clusters during different treatment phases.
- To inform targeted interventions for improved clinical management.
Main Methods:
- Prospective assessment of 102 children with ALL from January 2023 to June 2024.
- Utilized the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale for Children (MSAS-C) at various chemotherapy stages.
- Analyzed symptom clusters across induction, consolidation, and maintenance phases.
Main Results:
- Patients experienced an average of 15.52 symptoms.
- Initial symptom clusters included emotional, gastrointestinal, and somatic symptoms.
- Chemotherapy progression led to the emergence of neurological, self-image, and skin/mucosal symptoms.
- Maintenance phase symptom clusters comprised emotional, gastrointestinal, somatic, neurological, and self-image disturbances.
Conclusions:
- Symptom clusters in pediatric ALL are dynamic and change with chemotherapy phases.
- Meticulous, phase-specific symptom assessment is crucial.
- Tailored interventions can enhance clinical management and patient care in pediatric ALL.
Background:
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in children is associated with diverse symptoms affecting quality of life and treatment efficacy. This study aimed to evaluate symptom progression in children with ALL to inform targeted interventions.
Methods:
We assessed children with ALL from January 2023 to June 2024 using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale for Children (MSAS-C) at different chemotherapy stages.
Results:
A total of 102 children were included and they experienced an average of 15.52 symptoms. Initially, three symptom clusters predominated: emotional, gastrointestinal, and somatic. As chemotherapy advanced through induction and consolidation phases, the symptom profile expanded to include neurological, self-image disturbance, and skin and mucosal symptoms. During the maintenance phase, the clusters were emotional, gastrointestinal, somatic, neurological, and self-image disturbance.
Conclusion:
Symptom clusters in pediatric ALL patients change dynamically with chemotherapy phases, highlighting the need for meticulous assessment tailored interventions to enhance clinical management and patient care.
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