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Impact of Animal-Assisted Interactions on Children with Advanced Cancer
Anne Byrd Mahoney1, Terrah Foster Akard2, Brittany A Cowfer3
1Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Journal of Palliative Medicine
|February 17, 2026
Summary
Animal-assisted interaction (AAI) improved quality of life (QoL) in children with advanced cancer and reduced caregiver stress over eight weeks. Measuring stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine during AAI was feasible.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Psychosocial Support
- Complementary Therapies
Background:
- Children with advanced cancer and their caregivers face significant stress, impacting quality of life (QoL).
- Animal-assisted interaction (AAI) shows promise for pediatric populations but is understudied in advanced cancer.
- This study addresses the need for evidence on AAI's benefits in this vulnerable group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess AAI's impact on QoL and depressive symptoms in children with advanced cancer.
- To evaluate AAI's effect on caregiver stress levels.
- To determine the feasibility of measuring stress hormones during AAI sessions.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal cohort study involving 29 children with advanced cancer and 29 caregivers.
- Participants engaged in up to eight weeks of AAI during routine oncology visits.
- QoL, depressive symptoms, and caregiver stress were assessed via surveys; salivary cortisol and serum epinephrine/norepinephrine were measured.
Main Results:
- Child QoL scores (overall and physical) and caregiver-proxy QoL scores significantly improved.
- Caregiver stress levels showed a statistically significant decrease over the study period.
- Collection of salivary cortisol and serum epinephrine/norepinephrine was feasible, with significant decreases observed post-AAI sessions.
Conclusions:
- AAI demonstrably enhanced QoL for children with advanced cancer and alleviated caregiver stress over an eight-week period.
- The feasibility of collecting stress biomarkers (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine) during AAI was confirmed.
- Further research is needed to understand the physiological implications of these stress hormone reductions in children.
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