Psychosocial profile of children with pediatric malignancy and their families

Abstract Background The diagnosis and treatment of cancer are a stressful and threatening experience, which has tremendous impact on children and their families. As advances in cancer care have led to more treatment options and longer survival for cancer patients, a focus on quality of life for patients and their families has gained. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial aspects of children with different types of pediatric cancer (newly diagnosed as well as survivors), their parents, and sibs in comparison with those with normal children. Patients and Methods This study comprised 60 children, their sibs and caregivers. They were classified into three groups. Group I which comprised 20 newly diagnosed children with cancer, their caregivers and sibs, group II which comprised 20 cancer survivors children, their caregivers and sibs, group III which comprised 20 clinically healthy children, their caregivers and sibs. All children and their sibs in this study were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, assessment of socioeconomic standard, assessment of pediatric quality of life, a battery of psychometric tests included pediatric checklist, anxiety, depression, and self- esteem scores. All caregivers were subjected to record of demographic variable, assessment of socio-economic level, assessment of anxiety, depression, and isolation score, assessment of stress and burden related to the disease itself, if any, using standardized questionnaire and assessment of quality of life. Results Mean value of DS was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in newly diagnosed cancer children and survivors compared to controls while AS and PCLS was only significantly higher (P < 0.05) in newly diagnosed cancer children compared to controls. On the other hand, mean value of IQ of newly diagnosed cancer children and survivors was significantly than controls(P < 0.05); Mean values of Child as well as the Parental Total HRQL were significantly lower in newly diagnosed and survivors compared to controls (P < 0.05) with the former significantly lower than the later. In studied sib groups, AS was significantly higher in newly diagnosed compared to survivors and controls (P < 0.05), while PCLS was only significantly higher when newly diagnosed compared to survivors. In studied parental groups, mean values of DS, AS, and SS were significantly higher(P,0.05) in newly diagnosed compared to survivors and controls. Meanwhile, IS was significantly higher in newly diagnosed compared to controls. Newly diagnosed children with cancer, their parents and sibs had significantly lower mean values of all Child HRQL subcategories. On the other hand, survivors showed only significantly lower physical and social subcategories compared to controls. In studied sib groups only sibs of newly diagnosed patients and those of survivors, had significantly lower mean value of social subcategory compared to controls. Conclusion The current study showed that newly diagnosed cancer children had severe impact on their psychosocial aspects as well as their HRQL compared to controls while survivors showed a much lesser effects. On the other hand, sibs were mainly affected socially while parents were extremely affected.