Symptom assessment in children receiving cancer therapy: the parents' perspective.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to develop an instrument to assess cancer-treatment-related adverse effects that parents believe children find most bothersome and use it to solicit the opinions of parents regarding this issue.


METHODS
Parents of children 4 to 18 years of age who had received intravenous antineoplastic therapy in the last month were asked to rank prevalence, severity, and degree of bother of each symptom on behalf of their child using a questionnaire.


RESULTS
One hundred fifty-eight of 200 (82%) questionnaires were evaluable. The most prevalent symptoms identified were mood swings (85%), fatigue (80%), and disappointment at missing activities with friends/peers (74%). These symptoms were also most commonly identified as being significantly severe. Symptoms most commonly identified as the most bothersome were disappointment at missing activities with friends/peers (50%) and feeling worried about receiving treatment, procedures, or side effects (43%). Symptoms most commonly identified as the most severe and bothersome were disappointment at missing activities with friend/peers (46%); feeling worried about receiving treatment, procedures, or side effects (40%); and painful, aching, or stiff bones, joints, or muscles (36%).


CONCLUSIONS
This information can be used when explaining the effects of cancer treatment to patients/families, creating policies regarding pediatric cancer care and framing research hypotheses in pediatric supportive care.
Dupuis
L Lee
LL
Department of Pharmacy, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. lee.dupuis@sickkids.ca
Milne-Wren
Cindy
C
Cassidy
Marilyn
M
Barrera
Maru
M
Portwine
Carol
C
Johnston
Donna L
DL
Silva
Mariana Pradier
MP
Sibbald
Cathryn
C
Leaker
Michael
M
Routh
Stacey
S
Sung
Lillian
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000145:classification*; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000145:classification; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000145:classification*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000145:classification*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents