title: Symptom assessment in children receiving cancer therapy: the parents' perspective.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada. lee.dupuis@sickkids.ca
authors.forename: L Lee
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Dupuis
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milne-Wren
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.forename: Maru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Portwine
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Mariana Pradier
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Cathryn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sibbald
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leaker
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Routh
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents