Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Mar-Apr;46(2):E129-E137.
doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000001122. Epub 2022 Dec 11.

Profiles of Symptom Suffering and Functioning in Children and Adolescents Receiving Chemotherapy

Lei Cheng  1 , Bryce B Reeve, Janice S Withycombe, Shana S Jacobs, Jennifer W Mack, Meaghann Weaver, Courtney M Mann, Mia K Waldron, Scott H Maurer, Justin N Baker, Jichuan Wang, Pamela S Hinds
Affiliations

Profiles of Symptom Suffering and Functioning in Children and Adolescents Receiving Chemotherapy

Lei Cheng et al. Cancer Nurs. 2023 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Background: Some children and adolescents receiving chemotherapy experience few symptom-related adverse events, whereas others experience multiple adverse events. If oncology nurses could identify patients likely to have pronounced chemotherapy-related adverse events, tailored supportive care could be matched to these patients' symptom burdens.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify symptom profiles in children and adolescents before and after chemotherapy, and the sociodemographic and psychological factors associated with profile classification and change.

Methods: Participants ranging from 7 to 18 years (n = 436) completed 6 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System pediatric symptom measures within 72 hours preceding (T1) and 1 to 2 weeks after (T2) chemotherapy. Profile membership and change were determined by latent profile/latent transition analyses. Associations with profiles and profile transitions were examined using multinomial logit models and logistic regression.

Results: Three symptom suffering profiles were identified at T1 and T2: high, medium, and low. The high symptom suffering profile included the fewest participants (T1, n = 70; T2, n = 55); the low symptom suffering profile included the most participants (T1, n = 200; T2, n = 207). Of the participants, 57% remained in the same profile from T1 to T2. Psychological stress was significantly associated with T1 and T2 profile classifications and profile transition; age was associated with profile classification at T1.

Conclusion: Three symptom suffering profiles existed in a sample of pediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy, indicating that children and adolescents have differing cancer treatment experiences.

Implications for practice: Oncology nurses could screen pediatric oncology patients for their symptom suffering profile membership and subsequently prioritize care efforts for those with a high suffering profile.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Profiles of PROMIS Measures over Time Estimated from Unrestricted Three-profile Latent Profile Analysis Models. Abbreviations: Time 1, T1; Time 2, T2
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Latent Profile Distribution at T1 and T2 Estimated from Latent Profile analysis Models with Measurement Invariance Restriction Abbreviations: Time 1, T1; Time 2, T2
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Weaver MS, Shostrom VK, Neumann ML, Robinson JE, Hinds PS. Homestead together: Pediatric palliative care telehealth support for rural children with cancer during home-based end-of-life care. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021;68(4):e28921. - PubMed
    1. Szepetowski S, Saultier P, Andre N, et al. Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool in children and adolescents with high-risk malignancies: a pilot study [published online ahead of print, 2021 Jan 15]. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2021; bmjspcare-2020–002753. - PubMed
    1. Nagarajan R, Gerbing R, Alonzo T, et al. Quality of life in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: Report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Cancer Med. 2019;8(9):4454–4464. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hinds PS, Wang J, Stern ED, et al. Voices of children and adolescents on phase 1 or phase 2 cancer trials: A new trial endpoint? Cancer. 2017;123(19):3799–3806. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Madden K, Magno Charone M, Mills S, et al. Systematic Symptom Reporting by Pediatric Palliative Care Patients with Cancer: A Preliminary Report. J Palliat Med. 2019;22(8):894–901. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types