TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychosocial support of the pediatric cancer patient
T2 - Lessons learned over the past 50 years
AU - Askins, Martha A.
AU - Moore, Bartlett D.
N1 - Funding Information:
Quality of life during survivorship has become an important focus of research. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) is a multi-institutional collaboration supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Since 1994, CCSS has successfully established and followed 14,370 5-year survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer diagnosed between 1970 and 1986 and a sample of 3737 sibling controls, collecting detailed information on cancer diagnosis, treatment, health, and quality of life. Results from these data have shown that young adult survivors of childhood leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma had significantly more risk of depression and somatic distress and that intensive chemotherapy added to this risk [33]. In a similar study of long-term survivors of childhood brain cancer, researchers concluded that cancer treatment does not appear to contribute directly to increased psychological distress, but rather distress is associated with diminished social functioning that may be related to cancer type or treatment, and merits supportive interventions that enhance survivors’ social and vocational skills [34].
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Advances in pediatric cancer treatment over the past 50 years have dramatically improved survival rates. Once considered almost uniformly fatal, pediatric cancer's overall survival rates now approach 85%. Formerly, little psychosocial support existed for the child with cancer other than that provided by nurses and family. The prospect for long-term survival was so remote that plans for the future (eg, school, social relationships, late effects of treatment, and emotional adjustment) were abandoned. As the survival rate for children with cancer improved, so did the need for and quality of psychosocial care, largely because of hope for a cure. Today children with cancer benefit from comprehensive behavioral pediatric psychosocial support programs in psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, child life, education (school), creative arts, chaplaincy, social work, and career and vocational counseling. Pediatric psycho-oncology research has provided insights into clinical care and the psychosocial adaptation of children and families to cancer treatment and survivorship.
AB - Advances in pediatric cancer treatment over the past 50 years have dramatically improved survival rates. Once considered almost uniformly fatal, pediatric cancer's overall survival rates now approach 85%. Formerly, little psychosocial support existed for the child with cancer other than that provided by nurses and family. The prospect for long-term survival was so remote that plans for the future (eg, school, social relationships, late effects of treatment, and emotional adjustment) were abandoned. As the survival rate for children with cancer improved, so did the need for and quality of psychosocial care, largely because of hope for a cure. Today children with cancer benefit from comprehensive behavioral pediatric psychosocial support programs in psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, child life, education (school), creative arts, chaplaincy, social work, and career and vocational counseling. Pediatric psycho-oncology research has provided insights into clinical care and the psychosocial adaptation of children and families to cancer treatment and survivorship.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=58649123833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=58649123833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11912-008-0072-1
DO - 10.1007/s11912-008-0072-1
M3 - Review article
C2 - 18928661
AN - SCOPUS:58649123833
SN - 1523-3790
VL - 10
SP - 469
EP - 476
JO - Current oncology reports
JF - Current oncology reports
IS - 6
ER -