A significant proportion of children receiving outpatient treatment for cancer were rated as experiencing chronic pain and pain was not optimally managed in the home setting. Further understanding and addressing barriers to children's cancer pain management in the home setting will aid in alleviating unnecessary pain in this vulnerable patient population.

No abstract

Many parents of children with cancer have misconceptions regarding issues of pain management; these misconceptions can potentially lead to undertreatment of pain in children. These misconceptions are associated with aspects of children's temperament.

Illness uncertainty is prevalent and associated with lower quality of life in children diagnosed with cancer. Improved communication with children regarding disease state, treatment expectations, and prognosis may alleviate uncertainty and improve functioning in this vulnerable patient population.

The present study provides evidence that parent report of children's postoperative behavioral recovery may be influenced by cultural variables, such as ethnicity and language. The present results contribute to a growing body of evidence that highlights the need for culturally sensitive assessment and care of families in the medical setting. The findings may reflect differences in cultural values such as stoicism; however, future studies would benefit from examination of the factors that may account for the differences in reported behavior change after surgery (i.e., report bias, cultural values).