Psychological Distress and the Impact of Social Support on Fathers and Mothers of Pediatric Cancer Patients: Long-Term Prospective Results

Objective: COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis. Research is critically needed to identify the acute and long-term impacts of the pandemic to children’s mental health including psychosocial factors that predict resilience, recovery, and persistent long-term distress. The present study collected data in June-July 2020 to enumerate the acute impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health, including the magnitude and nature of psychiatric and psychological distress in children, and to evaluate social support as a putative psychosocial correlate of children’s distress.Method: 190 families of children aged 8 to 13 from the Windsor-Essex region of Southwestern Ontario reported on the impact of the pandemic on children’s well-being (e.g., worry, happiness); irritability; social support; and symptoms of anxiety, depressive, and posttraumatic stress disorder at baseline assessment of an ongoing longitudinal study of the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Children and parents reported worsened well-being and psychological distress during the pandemic compared to retrospective report of pre-pandemic well-being. Children and parents also reported higher depressive and anxiety symptoms, but fewer PTSD symptoms, compared to epidemiological samples that used the same measures prior to the pandemic. Finally, child-perceived social support from family and friends was associated with lower symptom severity.Conclusions: Study findings indicate broad psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and are consistent with prior research that indicates a protective role of social support to mitigate the negative psychological impact of the pandemic.

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Use of Broviac/Hickman Catheter for Long-Term Venous Access in Pediatric Cancer Patients

Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1093/oxfordjournals.jjco.a039229 ◽

1988 ◽

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Pediatric Cancer ◽

Venous Access ◽

Hickman Catheter ◽

Pediatric Cancer Patients

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281 Differences in coping in parents of pediatric cancer patients and the relation with psychological distress

European Journal of Cancer ◽

10.1016/0959-8049(95)95539-i ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. S61

Author(s):

J.E.H.M. Hoekstra-Weebers ◽

W.A. Kamps ◽

E.C. Klip

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Pediatric Cancer ◽

Pediatric Cancer Patients

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Intestinal Colonization and Nosocomial Spread of Clostridium difficile in Pediatric Cancer Patients Under Long-term Hospitalization

Kansenshogaku zasshi ◽

10.11150/kansenshogakuzasshi1970.82.419 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 82 (5) ◽

pp. 419-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mayumi MURABATA ◽

Haru KATO ◽

Hisako YANO ◽

Masamichi OGURA ◽

Junko SHIBAYAMA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clostridium Difficile ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Pediatric Cancer ◽

Intestinal Colonization ◽

Pediatric Cancer Patients

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Effect of radiotherapy on the gut microbiome in pediatric cancer patients: a pilot study

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.7683 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. e7683 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nourhan Sahly ◽

Ahmed Moustafa ◽

Mohamed Zaghloul ◽

Tamer Z. Salem

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Sample Size ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Pediatric Cancer ◽

Gut Microbiome ◽

Small Sample ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Pediatric Cancer Patients ◽

The Impact

The incidence of pediatric cancer is lower than that of adult cancer worldwide. However, the former has detrimental side effects on the health of individuals, even after the cancer is cured, due to the impact of treatment on development. Recently, correlations have been made between the gut microbiome and cancer in several studies but only on adult participants. There is always a complication of dealing with pediatric cancer treatment protocols because they usually include a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and intensive prophylactic antibiotics. In the current study, a pilot study was conducted to analyze ten fecal samples from three pediatric cancer patients, suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma near their pelvic region, and two healthy individuals. A correlation between microbial composition and response to treatment was reported, in which the responders had generally a lower microbial diversity compared to non-responders. In addition, nucleotide changes and deletions in the tested 16S rRNA sequences post radiotherapy were detected. Despite the small sample size used in the experiments due to the uncommon rhabdomyosarcoma in children, the results can help in understanding the influence of radiotherapy on the gut microbiome in pediatric cancer patients. More work with larger sample size and different cancer types need to be conducted to understand the influence of radiotherapy on gut microbiome to mitigate the deleterious impact of radiation on treated children.

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LINC-01. COMPLIANCE TO FOLLOW UP IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WHO HAVE RECEIVED CRANIOSPINAL IRRADIATION

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noaa222.436 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. iii378-iii378

Author(s):

Khin Pyone ◽

Thwe Tun ◽

Yin Win ◽

Aye Thinn ◽

Khin Win ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Pediatric Cancer ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

Craniospinal Irradiation ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Pediatric Cancer Patients ◽

Need To Evaluate

Abstract OBJECTIVE Attendance to follow-up after completion of cancer treatment is understudied area. Pediatric cancer patients have sequelae of illness or treatment. Many have no symptom immediately after completion of treatment. Long term follow-up is important to access disease control, early diagnosis of recurrence, second cancer and treatment-related morbidities. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the compliance to follow-up in pediatric patients treated with craniospinal irradiation (CSI). METHODS This was retrospective review of follow-up in pediatric neuro-oncology patients who received (CSI) from January 2017 to June 2018 in the Radiotherapy Department of Yangon General Hospital, Myanmar. RESULT: Twenty-three patients received CSI; majority (43%) were medulloblastoma. Median age was 7.5 years (3–17 years). Only seven patients (30.4%) were attended to follow-up more than 6 months after completion of treatment. More than two-thirds of patients (n=16,69.6%) were lost to follow-up. Patients in active follow-up were diagnosed and treated at earlier age below 10years (n=5,21.7%). Demographically, 5 patients (22%) were living in the region around tertiary hospital. Sixteen patients (69.6%) from rural area had limited transportation and difficulty for accommodation in which they were treated. In socioeconomic points, 18 parents (78.2%) had poor education and financial status, lack of understanding about disease, treatment, long-term effects and follow-up. CONCLUSION Although this was limited data in CSI patients only, loss to follow-up after 6 months was high. We need to evaluate in all pediatric cancer patients and collaborate to provide financial support, childcare centres for lodging, transportation and health education to promote compliance to follow-up.

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