Biofeedback in Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Care: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Biofeedback interventions are widely used in pediatric and adult healthcare.
• Evidence for biofeedback efficacy in pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) cancer patients is scarce.
• This systematic review addresses the limited research on biofeedback in pediatric and AYA oncology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize existing research on biofeedback in pediatric and AYA oncology.
• To identify research gaps in biofeedback for this specific patient group.
• To provide recommendations for future research and clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across six major bibliographic databases.
• Inclusion criteria: studies on pediatric/AYA oncology patients (0-39 years) receiving biofeedback.
• Methodological quality and risk of bias assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

Main Results:

• Only 8 out of 1013 screened studies met inclusion criteria (<1%).
• Preliminary findings suggest biofeedback may help manage pain, anxiety, and fatigue in pediatric/AYA cancer patients.
• Included studies exhibited low methodological quality (small samples, no control groups, inconsistencies).

Conclusions:

• Biofeedback is a potentially feasible and effective intervention for pediatric/AYA oncology patients.
• There is a critical need for well-designed, rigorous studies to validate biofeedback's effectiveness.
• Evidence-based practice recommendations require further high-quality research in this field.