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The Symptom Experience in Pediatric Cancer: Current Conceptualizations and Future Directions

  • Pediatric Oncology (KL Davis, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

We aimed to review the recent research on the childhood cancer symptom experience pertaining to socioeconomic factors, biology and genetics, growth and development, family psychosocial dynamics, and social and treating environments to begin to formulate recommendations for a personalized approach to symptom management.

Recent Findings

Cancer symptoms are common and distressing in children and negatively impact child and family quality of life. Many interacting factors influence children’s cancer symptoms experiences, including the assessment and management of such symptoms.

Summary

This paper highlights several gaps in the research related to the cancer symptom experience including routine symptom assessment, the impact of socioeconomic, biological, and genetic factors on symptoms, and the establishment of effective symptom management partnerships with families. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations related to that research which is ready to be implemented into clinical practice and areas for needed future efforts.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, M5T 1P8, Toronto, Canada

    Lindsay A. Jibb

  2. Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, M5G 0A4, Canada

    Lindsay A. Jibb & Surabhi Sivaratnam

  3. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA

    Suzanne Ameringer

  4. Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA

    Catherine Fiona Macpherson

  5. Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Canada

    Surabhi Sivaratnam

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  1. Lindsay A. Jibb
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  4. Surabhi Sivaratnam
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Correspondence to Lindsay A. Jibb.

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Jibb, L.A., Ameringer, S., Macpherson, C.F. et al. The Symptom Experience in Pediatric Cancer: Current Conceptualizations and Future Directions. Curr Oncol Rep 24, 443–450 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-022-01222-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-022-01222-2

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