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Review
. 2024 Dec 31;32(1):22.
doi: 10.3390/curroncol32010022.

Pain and Frailty in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Narrative Review

Chiara Papini  1 , Jaspreet K Sodhi  2 , Cassie M Argenbright  1 , Kirsten K Ness  3 , Tara M Brinkman  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Pain and Frailty in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Narrative Review

Chiara Papini et al. Curr Oncol. .

Abstract

A significant proportion of childhood cancer survivors experience persistent health problems related to cancer or cancer treatment exposures, including accelerated or early onset of aging. Survivors are more likely than non-cancer peers to present a frail phenotype suggestive of reduced physiologic reserve and have symptoms that interfere with function in daily life, including pain. Studies in the general population, mostly among older adults, suggest that pain is a significant contributor to development and progression of frail health. This association has not been explored among childhood cancer survivors. In this narrative review, we highlight this gap by summarizing the epidemiologic evidence on pain and frailty, including their prevalence, common risk factors, and correlates in childhood cancer survivors. We further discuss associations between pain and frailty in non-cancer populations, likely biological mechanisms in survivors, and potential interventions targeting both domains.

Keywords: childhood cancer survivors; frailty; pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mechanism of proposed pathway of association between pain and frailty among childhood cancer survivors, considered within a survivor’s unique social and cultural context.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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