title: Health-related quality of life of children on treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A systematic review.
abstract: Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) undergo intense anticancer treatment. We systematically reviewed 22 studies evaluating 2,073 ALL patients' health-related quality of life (HRQL) and its clinical/demographic correlates during treatment. Overall HRQL was significantly reduced on treatment. Despite HRQL improvements over time, longitudinal studies reported a proportion of children continued to experience reduced HRQL after treatment completion. We found inconsistent associations between clinical/demographic factors and HRQL outcomes. Tentative evidence emerged for worse HRQL being associated with intensive phases of chemotherapy, corticosteroid therapy, experiencing greater toxicity, older age, and female sex. Longitudinal studies are needed to identify children at-risk of reduced HRQL.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.|Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Joanna E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fardell
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.|Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.|Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vetsch
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.|Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Trahair
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.|Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Mateos
authors.affiliation: Psychosocial Department, Emma Children's Hospital AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grootenhuis
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.|Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Touyz
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.|Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.|Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Wakefield
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: acute lymphoblastic leukemia; pediatric oncology; quality of life; systematic review; treatment