Thinking ahead: Parents' worries about late effects of childhood cancer treatment.
Pediatr Blood Cancer
; 68(12): e29335, 2021 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34520114
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Many childhood cancersurvivors experience at least one late effect of treatment, and both late effects and persistent cancer-related worry can negatively impact quality of life in survivorship. Little is known about the prevalence or impact of parental worry about late effects early in treatment. This study evaluated parental perceived likelihood, impact, and worry about late effects of childhood cancer. PROCEDURE We surveyed 96 parents of pediatric cancer patients at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center within a year of diagnosis. Parents were asked about their experiences with late effects communication, general worry about late effects, and specific late effect worries.RESULTS:
Most (96%) parents valued information about late effects, and 93% considered late effects in their treatment decision-making. Yet, 24% could not recall receiving any information about late effects, and only 51% felt well prepared for potential late effects. Though only 20% of parents considered their child at high risk of experiencing late effects, 61% were extremely/very worried about late effects. Those who felt their child was at high risk of experiencing late effects were more likely to worry (OR = 4.7, P = 0.02).CONCLUSIONS:
Many parents feel inadequately informed about late effects of cancer treatment, and only one-fifth of parents consider late effects to be likely for their child. However, a majority of parents worry about late effects, including ones they think their child is unlikely to experience. Although some worry is anticipated, disproportionate worry may be mitigated by addressing both educational shortfalls and emotional concerns.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Qualidade de Vida
/
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article