Symptom and Illness Experience for English and Spanish-Speaking Children with Advanced Cancer: Child and Parent Perspective

Zhukovsky, Donna S.; Rozmus, Cathy L; Robert, Rhonda; Bruera, Éduardo; Wells, Robert J.; Cohen, Marlene Z.

doi:10.3390/children8080657

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The impact of the diagnosis and experience of cancer in a child may be extreme and permanent, causing crises, also affecting life in adulthood [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. During the disease, new needs emerge, which, if not satisfied, increase the negative effects of neoplastic disease, including the fear of death, depression or reduced pain tolerance [ 14 , 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problems, Stressors and Needs of Children and Adolescents with Cancer

Lewandowska¹,

Zych

Papp

et al. 2021

Children

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Cancer diseases in children and adolescents are considered to be one of the most serious health problems in the world. It is estimated that about 151,435 cases are diagnosed in children annually. Children with cancer experience many comorbid symptoms related to diagnosis and treatment that can profoundly affect their lives. They experience physical and emotional suffering, which affects their well-being and physical fitness, influencing the prognosis and deteriorating their physical, mental and social functioning. Given the limited data, an attempt was made to assess the problems of the biopsychosocial sphere of need and stressors among children and adolescents treated for cancer. Accurate symptom assessment is essential to ensure high-quality care and effective treatment. Patients and Methods: The qualitative study was conducted in pediatric oncology of hospitals in Poland. Children diagnosed with cancer were invited to participate in the study to assess their problems, stressors and needs. Results: The study included 520 people, where female sex constituted 48% and male 52%. The mean age of the children is 13.2 SD = 2.5. Negative experiences related to the disease are experienced by 82% of children. Among the surveyed children, the most experienced were anxiety (61%). The conducted research shows that as many as 69% of all respondents experienced states that indicate severe depression. The most common somatic problems reported by children were pain (58%). The most dominant areas of life that had a negative impact was body image (85%). Conclusions: Children and adolescents diagnosed with neoplastic disease experience many problems and stressors in every sphere of life, which undoubtedly affects a high level of unmet needs. The main category of needs concerning the challenges faced by children with cancer was psychological and care problems. In the youth group, the needs were mainly related to education and social support.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problems, Stressors and Needs of Children and Adolescents with Cancer

Lewandowska¹,

Zych

Papp

et al. 2021

Children

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The challenges faced by the caregivers, including the unmet need for psychological and emotional support, have been widely studied for chronic diseases. [16][17][18] The task of caring for a child with complex disabilities, resulting from a rare disease, can be very arduous for caregivers, primarily due to debilitating disease progression and the lack of resources. It has been shown that the burden of caring for a child with an NDD involves the parents' self-perceived stress on their daily functioning such as relationship with other family members, quality of life, and physical, mental, and economic well-being.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Burden on Caregivers of MECP2 Duplication Syndrome

Ak¹,

Aktürk²,

Bowyer³

et al. 2022

Pediatric Neurology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Pediatric palliative care begins with the patient and his/her family, and their quality of life, needs, worries and hopes. Zhukovsky et al looked at the symptom and illness experience of children that are being treated for advanced cancer, and interviewed the children as well as the parents [ 2 ]. They report the impact that symptoms and cancer treatment has on their daily lives and relationships.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%