title: Psychotropic medication use in pediatric patients with cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of psychotropic medication in medically ill adults, in particular, patients with cancer, is common. While increased use of psychotropic medications in children and adolescents in the general population has been reported, little is known about the prescribing practices for these medications in medically ill children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the frequency and types of psychotropic medications used in a population of children and adolescents with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of the National Institutes of Health Medical Information System.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred forty-seven patients aged 1 to 21 years who were enrolled in clinical research trials at the Pediatric Oncology Branch between January 2000 and December 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychotropic medication use was analyzed according to cancer diagnosis and patient age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen percent of identified patients had been prescribed at least 1 psychotropic medication at the time of National Cancer Institute clinical trial enrollment. The most commonly used medications were anticonvulsant agents (8%) and antidepressant medications (7%), in particular, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Anxiolytic medications could not be accurately assessed because of their frequent use as antiemetic agents in many chemotherapy regimens. Psychostimulant use was rare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that psychotropic medications are commonly prescribed to children and adolescents with cancer. Clinical safety and efficacy trials are needed in medically ill children at high risk for mood and anxiety symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Mental Health, Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Maryland
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pao
authors.forename: Elizabeth D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rosenstein
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wiener
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wayne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs