Investigation of cognitive functions in children with bone tumours and lymphoma in treatment process.

BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive sequelae are among the most debilitating effects of cancer observed in children. Yet we know very little about the impact on neurocognitive functioning, especially cancer types that develop outside the central nervous system. This study aimed to assess and compare the cognitive functions (CoF) of children with bone tumours and lymphoma in the treatment process. METHODS: The CoF of children with bone tumours (n = 44), lymphoma (n = 42) and their non-cancer peers (n = 55) were assessed with Dynamic Occupational Therapy Assessment for Children. The CoF of children with cancer were compared with their non-cancer peers. Then, children with bone tumours and lymphoma were compared in binary. RESULTS: One-hundred forty-one children aged 6-12 years with a mean age of 9.4 (SD = 1.5) were included in this study. The orientation and visuomotor construction functions of children with bone tumours and orientation, praxis and visuomotor construction functions of children with lymphoma performed worse than their non-cancer peers (pk < 0.001). While orientation, spatial perception, visuomotor construction and thinking operations functions of children with bone tumours and lymphoma were similar (pk > 0.016), praxis functions of children with lymphoma were found to be worse than children with bone tumours (pk < 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that children with bone tumours and lymphoma in the process of treatment are at risk for impairment of their CoF. The findings highlight the importance of assessing CoF in children with bone tumours and lymphoma and considering specific differences between groups. It is essential to assess CoF and develop early intervention plans in these children.

The Resilience Scale for Parents of Children with Cancer: Scale development and psychometric evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a Resilience Scale for Parents of Children with Cancer (RSP-CC) designed specifically for parents of children with cancer and to evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS: Based on the Resilience Model for Families of Children with Cancer, items were created after an extensive literature review and evaluated through expert consultation and a pilot study. Psychometric evaluation was conducted with the parents of 601 children with cancer in the pediatric hematology oncology services of different hospitals in the Ankara and Kayseri provinces in Turkey. RESULTS: A 4-factor structure was illustrated by exploratory factor analysis and confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, explaining 62.192% of the total variance. In the reliability analysis of the scale, Interclass correlation = 0.993 and Cronbach's alpha = 0.994 were found for the scale. Robust correlation coefficients were found between test-retest, and the correlation between the two measurements was statistically significant (r = 0.990; p Ë‚ 0.001). As a result, the validity of a 24-item scale structure consisting of 4 dimensions was validated. CONCLUSIONS: It may be said that the RSP-CC meets the necessary criteria to examine the resilience in parents of children aged 0-18 with a cancer diagnosis, and its psychometric properties are reasonable sufficient.

How Has the Occupational Performance and Participation Levels of Children with Cancer Changed during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Aim: To examine how the occupational performance (OP) and participation levels of children with cancer changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Sixty-seven children with cancer (aged 6-12 years) completed the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure by giving information about their OP and participation, and their parents completed the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation via online interview techniques. Evaluations were repeated twice in April and September 2020 to determine the change in OP and participation levels of children with cancer due to the COVID-19.Results: OP of children with cancer decreased significantly (Z=-7.02, p < 0.001) during the pandemic period. The home participation of these children did not change significantly (Z=-0.98, p = 0.32) before and during the pandemic; and was limited in both periods. Community participation decreased significantly (Z=-4.84, p < 0.001) from limited level to very limited level.Conclusions: Findings emphasize the need to increase the levels of OP and participation levels of children with various types of cancer due to the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quality of life and occupational performance of children with cancer in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the changes in the quality of life (QOL) and occupational performance of children with cancer and to examine their rehabilitation needs during the pandemic period in Turkey. METHODS: 60 children with cancer and their families participated in the study. The first and second assessments were carried out in April and September 2020, respectively. The pediatric quality of life inventory parent proxy-report was used to evaluate the QOL, and the Canadian occupational performance measurement was used to evaluate children's occupational performance and satisfaction. A qualitative interview was planned to determine the impact of the pandemic on children with cancer alongside their families and therefore determining the rehabilitation needs of the children. RESULTS: While there is no statistically significant change in the pain-related conditions of the children in the first six months of the pandemic (p > 0.05), procedural and treatment anxieties of the children increased during the treatment. Their QOL including cognitive state, perceived physical appearance and communication skills also showed a statistically significant decrease (p < 0.05). Both the occupational performance and satisfaction scores decreased significantly, covering the pre-pandemic and pandemic era (p < 0.01). In the qualitative interview parents expressed their children's need for physical, psychological and social participation support. Also, they emphasized the need for time management. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the QOL and occupational performance level of children with cancer decreased significantly. Holistic rehabilitation approaches complying with pandemic conditions are likely to benefit these children.