Pediatric blood & cancer
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Jul 2018
Clinical TrialScrambler therapy efficacy and safety for neuropathic pain correlated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in adolescents: A preliminary study.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy, in need of effective treatment. Preliminary data support the efficacy of scrambler therapy (ST), a noninvasive cutaneous electrostimulation device, in adults with CIPN. We test the efficacy, safety, and durability of ST for neuropathic pain in adolescents with CIPN. ⋯ Based on these preliminary data, ST could be a good choice for adolescents with CIPN for whom pain control is difficult. ST caused total relief or dramatic reduction in CIPN pain and an improvement in quality of life, durable in follow-up. It caused no detected side effects, and can be retrained successfully. Further larger studies should be performed to confirm our promising preliminary data in pediatric patients with cancer.
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Hope is a multidimensional concept that is important for all parents of children with cancer. However, most work has focused on advanced cancer and poor prognoses. We examined hopes of all parents of children with cancer longitudinally during the first year of treatment. ⋯ Many hopes contribute to parental hopefulness, not just hope for cure. This hopefulness persists over time, even when the prognosis is poor. Clinicians should focus on supporting the myriad hopes that contribute to overall hopefulness.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Jun 2018
Perceptions of barriers and facilitators to early integration of pediatric palliative care: A national survey of pediatric oncology providers.
The goal of this study was to assess pediatric oncology providers' perceptions of palliative care in order to validate previously identified barriers and facilitators to early integration of a pediatric palliative care team (PCT) in the care of children with cancer. ⋯ Overall, providers endorse early integration of the PCT for children with cancer. There remains a continued emphasis on provider and patient education. Palliative care is generally accepted as providing a benefit to children with cancer, though barriers persist and vary among provider groups.
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Pediatric blood & cancer · Apr 2018
Multicenter StudyIllness and end-of-life experiences of children with cancer who receive palliative care.
The field of pediatric palliative oncology is newly emerging. Little is known about the characteristics and illness experiences of children with cancer who receive palliative care (PC). ⋯ Children with cancer who receive PC experience a high burden of intensive treatments and often die in inpatient intensive care settings. Delayed PC involvement is associated with increased odds of dying in the intensive care unit. Prospective investigation of early PC involvement in children with high-risk cancer is needed to better understand potential impacts on cost-effectiveness, quality of life, and delivery of goal concordant care.