Instruments to measure anxiety in children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer: a systematic review

Prehabilitation Consultation on Self-Care and Physical Exercise in Patients Diagnosed with Abdominopelvic Cancer: Protocol of the Study

BACKGROUND

Introduction: Prehabilitation in the field of oncology has been defined as "the process in the continuum of care that occurs between diagnosis and the start of treatment involving physical and psychological measures that determine the patient's baseline functional status."

AIM

To determine the effectiveness of a Prehabilitation consultation on self-care and targeted physical exercise for patients diagnosed with abdominopelvic cancer.

DESIGN

An observational study that will evaluate the pre-post efficacy of an ad-hoc designed Prehabilitation intervention. The study population consists of patients diagnosed with colon or gynecological cancer with a surgical indication as part of their therapeutic plan from the General Surgery Services. It is configured around four key interventions: (a) health education and self-care, (b) specific nutritional counseling, (c) initial psychological assessment, and (d) directed physical exercise intervention. Health education, self-care interventions, and physical exercise will be carried out weekly from diagnosis to the scheduled surgery day.

RESULTS

Aspects such as self-care capacity or agency, perioperative anxiety, aerobic capacity, strength and flexibility, postoperative complications, and recovery time to adjuvant treatment will be measured using tools such as Appraisal of self-care agency scale (ASA), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), walking test, sit and Reach, Hand Grip or Squad Jump.

CONCLUSION

Utilizing validated tools for analyzing selected variables will contribute to refining and expanding care guidelines, ultimately enhancing support for both patients and their caregivers.

The effect of drama on psychosocial problems and emotional states of hospitalized children with cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Hospitalization is a traumatic experience for children. Especially in the case of childhood cancers that require long-term hospitalization, children need psychosocial support. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of drama in reducing psychosocial problems in hospitalized paediatric children diagnosed with cancer.

METHODS

The study used a mixed method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods with a single group. Drama sessions prepared according to the Tasks and Skills Model were used to support their psychosocial conditions. The Facial Expression Form, The Assessment Scale for Psychosocial Symptoms in Hospitalized Children, and the Drawing and Writing Technique were used before and after the drama sessions.

RESULTS

This study differs from others in its use of drama intervention to reduce psychosocial problems in children undergoing cancer treatment. As a result of the study, it was found that there was a decrease in anxiety, hopelessness, anger-aggression and communication difficulties among psychosocial problems and a change in mood towards feeling happy. The study suggests that drama sessions were effective in relieving emotional distress in paediatric cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

The study suggests that drama sessions were effective in relieving emotional distress in paediatric cancer patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Applying drama to children undergoing long-term hospital treatment can help alleviate psychosocial problems by reducing stress, emotional suppression, and compensating for trauma.

Creative Arts Therapy Among Children With Cancer: Symptom Assessment Reveals Reduced Anxiety

BACKGROUND

Symptom distress is related to decreased quality of life (QOL) among children with cancer, with high levels of pain, nausea, and anxiety reported. Creative arts therapy (CAT) has been related to improved QOL and symptoms in pediatric oncology, but the quality of evidence is mixed.

OBJECTIVE

This article aims to examine the QOL symptom subscales in relation to CAT over time in children during the first year of cancer treatment.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of prospective data was performed with linear mixed modeling on 267 observations with predictors of 2 groups: No CAT (n = 18) vs CAT (n = 65). The covariate of time (6 months) was used to explore the CAT relationship with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) symptom subscales (pain and hurt, nausea, procedural anxiety, treatment anxiety, worry, cognitive problems, perceived physical appearance, and communication).

RESULTS

Children (n = 83) were between 3 and 17 years old (M = 6), 51.2% female, and 32% minority. All tumor types were represented: liquid (37.3%), solid (24.1%), and central nervous system (38.6%). Reduced child report of procedural anxiety was significantly related to receiving CAT with a medium magnitude of association (adjusted effect size = 0.58, P = .01).

CONCLUSION

Creative arts interventions were associated with a longitudinal improvement in anxiety in children with cancer. Further work is needed to target interventions to the appropriate specific burdensome symptoms.

IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE

Pediatric oncology nurses can advocate for CAT as an effective intervention to ameliorate the burdensome procedural anxiety experienced by patients.

Application of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network-distress thermometer in pediatric patients during autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and relationship to blood parameters of the stress axis

PURPOSE

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) are extremely stressful procedures for pediatric patients. The activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical axis (HPA) can influence the immune system negatively and therefore the overall outcome. The distress thermometer (DT) is an easy to use tool for the self-assessment of perceived distress.

METHODS

In this prospective study, a DT with an attached problem list was used in 40 pediatric patients undergoing HSCT and in one parent of each patient. The patients were aged 10-18 years. The patients' cortisol, thyroid stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels were measured regularly during the in-patient stay.

RESULTS

After admission to the hospital, the stress levels of the pediatric patients and their parents increased and reached their maximum on the day of HSCT. The overall stress values of the parents were higher than those of their children. There was a significant difference in the parents' stress levels on the day of HSCT, as compared to their stress levels on other days. The mean cortisol values of the pediatric patients also increased after admission, reaching significant elevated levels above the upper normal limit 1 week after HSCT and on discharge day. Although the pediatric patients experienced mainly exhaustion, especially on the day of transplantation, their parents mainly felt worry and anxiety. Interestingly, the rate of worry among children increased in the post-transplant period and reached its maximum on the day of discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, a significantly increased stress level is shown for both the patients and their parents. This is reflected for the patients both in the DT scores and in the increased cortisol values. For the parents, the focus is primarily on worry and anxiety, for the patients primarily on exhaustion and worry.

SAI-CH-6: Development of a Short Form of the State Anxiety Inventory for Children At-Risk for Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To develop a reliable and valid short form of the State Anxiety Subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-CH) in the Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study.

METHODS

A Development Sample of 842 10-year-old TEDDY children completed the STAI-CH State Subscale about their type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk. The best 6 items (three anxiety-present and three anxiety-absent) for use in a short form (SAI-CH-6) were identified via item-total correlations. SAI-CH-6 reliability was examined in a Validation Sample (n = 257) of children who completed the full 20-item STAI-CH State Subscale and then again in an Application Sample (n = 2,710) who completed only the SAI-CH-6. Expected associations between the children's SAI-CH-6 scores and country of residence, sex, T1D family history, accuracy of T1D risk perception, worry about getting T1D, and their parents' anxiety scores were examined.

RESULTS

The SAI-CH-6 was reliable (α = 0.81-0.87) and highly correlated with the full 20-item STAI-CH State Subscale (Development Sample: r = 0.94; Validation Sample: r = 0.92). SAI-CH-6 scores detected significant differences in state anxiety symptoms associated with T1D risk by country, T1D family history, accuracy of T1D risk perception, and worry about getting T1D and were correlated with the child's parent's anxiety.

CONCLUSION

The SAI-CH-6 appears useful for assessing children's state anxiety symptoms when burden and time limitations prohibit the use of the STAI-CH. The utility of the SAI-CH-6 in older children with and without chronic conditions needs to be assessed.

Fatigue mediates the relationship between emotional and cognitive functioning in children post-cancer treatment

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Children treated for cancer are at risk to develop cognitive problems. Insight in underlying associations with emotional functioning and fatigue can be used to optimize interventions. We therefore aim to study emotional functioning, fatigue, and cognitive functioning in children postcancer treatment and investigate whether fatigue mediates the relationship between emotional and cognitive functioning.

DESIGN/METHODS

Emotional functioning, fatigue, and cognitive functioning were assessed in children post-cancer treatment using subscales of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scales, Multidimensional Fatigue Scale and Cognitive Functioning Scale. A one sample t-test was used to compare outcomes with general population peers and mediation analysis was used to address the effect of fatigue on the relationship between emotional and cognitive functioning.

RESULTS

A total of 137 children (mean age: 13.6, SD ± 3.3 years; mean time since end of treatment: 7.1 months, SD ± 5.9) participated. Lower scores on emotional functioning (Cohen's d [D]: 0.4), fatigue (D: 0.8) and cognitive functioning (D: 0.6) were found (p < .001) in children post-cancer treatment than in peers. A medium association was found between emotional and cognitive functioning (standardized regression coefficient [β]: 0.27, p < .001), which was mediated by fatigue (β = 0.16).

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes on emotional and cognitive functioning are decreased and fatigue is increased in children postcancer treatment. Fatigue mediates the relationship between emotional and cognitive functioning. Our results show the importance to focus on fatigue amongst stress as a target for intervention to improve cognitive functioning.

The use of PROMIS measures in clinical studies in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a systematic review

PURPOSE

Although the use of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures is widely advocated, little is known on their use in patients with inflammatory arthritis. We systematically describe the use and outcomes of PROMIS measures in clinical studies involving people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Through a systematic search of nine electronic databases, clinical studies including patients with RA or axSpA and reporting the use of PROMIS measure were selected. Study characteristics, details of PROMIS measures and their outcomes, if available, were extracted.

RESULTS

In total, 29 studies described in 40 articles met the inclusion criteria, of which 25 studies included RA patients, three studies included axSpA patients and one study included both RA and axSpA patients. The use of two general PROMIS measures (PROMIS Global Health, PROMIS-29) and 13 different domain-specific PROMIS measures was reported, of which the PROMIS Pain Interference (n = 17), Physical Function (n = 14), Fatigue (n = 13), and Depression (n = 12) measures were most frequently used. Twenty-one studies reported their results in terms of T-scores. Most T-scores were worse than the general population mean, indicating impairments of health status. Eight studies did not report actual data but rather measurement properties of the PROMIS measures.

CONCLUSION

There was considerable variety regarding the different PROMIS measures used, with the PROMIS Pain interference, Physical function, Fatigue, and Depression measures being the most frequently used. In order to facilitate the comparisons across studies, more standardization of the selection of PROMIS measures is needed.

Patient-Reported Outcome Benefits for Children with Advanced Cancer and Parents: A Qualitative Study

CONTEXT

Electronic patient-reported outcomes (e-PROs) in pediatric oncology may be useful to track patients' symptoms and quality of life (QoL). However, implementation in the clinical setting is limited and few studies have examined child and parent perspectives on e-PRO usage.

OBJECTIVES

This brief report aims to explore child and parent perspectives on the benefits of using e-PROs to routinely report on symptoms and QoL.

METHODS

We analyzed qualitative data embedded within the PediQUEST Response trial, a randomized controlled trial aimed at early palliative care integration for children with advanced cancer and their parents. Study dyads, made up of a child and their parent, completed weekly surveys assessing symptoms and QoL for 18 weeks, and were invited to participate in an audio-recorded exit interview to share study feedback. Interview transcripts were analyzed with a thematic analysis approach, with emergent themes centered on the benefits of e-PRO usage reported here.

RESULTS

Of 154 total randomized participants, we collected 147 exit interviews representing 105 child participants. Interviewed children (n=47) and parents (n=104) were mostly White and non-Hispanic. Two predominant themes emerged regarding e-PRO benefits:1) raised reflection and awareness of self and others' experiences, and 2) increased communication and connection between parents and children or between study dyads and care teams through survey prompted discussion.

CONCLUSION

Advanced pediatric cancer patients and their parents found benefit in completing routine e-PROs as they promoted greater reflection and awareness and increased communication. These results may inform further integration of e-PROs in routine pediatric oncology care.

A social network analysis: mental health scales used during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

The focus on psychological issues during COVID-19 has led to the development of large surveys that involve the use of mental health scales. Numerous mental health measurements are available; choosing the appropriate measurement is crucial.

Methods

A rule-based named entity recognition was used to recognize entities of mental health scales that occur in the articles from PubMed. The co-occurrence networks of mental health scales and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms were constructed by Gephi.

Results

Five types of MeSH terms were filtered, including research objects, research topics, research methods, countries/regions, and factors. Seventy-eight mental health scales were discovered.

Discussion

The findings provide insights on the scales used most often during the pandemic, the key instruments used to measure healthcare workers' physical and mental health, the scales most often utilized for assessing maternal mental health, the tools used most commonly for assessing older adults' psychological resilience and loneliness, and new COVID-19 mental health scales. Future studies may use these findings as a guiding reference and compass.

Incidence and risk factors related to anxiety of children and adolescents before elective surgery

The goal of this study was to evaluate the preoperative anxiety in children and adolescents and to identify some of the risk factors associated with the incidence of anxiety in 9–18 years old group. Children and adolescents 9–18 years old hospitalized the night before elective surgeries were analyzed in terms of incidence and severity of anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) measure. Of the 164 patients, 111 (67.6%) suffered from preoperative anxiety. The incidence of anxiety in children aged 9–12 was 2.88 times the anxiety of those aged 12–18 (OR = 2.88) (1.65, 5.98). Moreover, the incidence of anxiety in only children was 0.65 times that of children with siblings (OR = 0.78) (0.11,2.93), and in patients with a history of hospitalization, the incidence was 1.85 times the stress in children without hospitalization history (OR = 1.85)(1.31,3.99); finally, the incidence of anxiety in children of higher socioeconomic status was lower compared with those of lower socioeconomic status (OR = 0.13) (0.08,0.35). Having close frend or family in the healthcare staff decreased the prevalence (OR = 0.64 (0.23,1.79) and severity of anxiety (47.02 ± 5.48 vs. 54.18 ± 7.18) (P-value = 0.001). There was no relationship between gender and the incidence of anxiety (OR = 1). Incidence of preoperative anexiety in foriner was1.72 times of persion patients (OR=1.72) (0.99,4.25). The severity of anxiety was lower in boys (46.22 ± 6.68) compared with girls (52.55 ± 7.52) (P-value = 0.002) and lower in patients of medium-to-high socioeconomic status (43.64 ± 5.45) compared with those with lower socioeconomic status (49.66 ± 6.49) (P-value = 0.003). There was no relationship between being an only child and severity of anxiety (P-value = 0.54) (48.31 ± 5.05 vs. 48.12 ± 6.81). However, anxiety was more severe in patients with a history of hospitalization (50.55 ± 4.64) (49.2 ± 6.23) (P-value = 0.09). Severity of anexiety was not dependent to nationality of patients(P-value = 0.6) .Taken together, our data suggest that various methods should be used to reduce anxiety and associated complications, regarding the high prevalence of anxiety in mentioned groups of children and adolescents.

Positive Effects of Advanced Daylight Supply of Buildings on Schoolchildren—A Controlled, Single-Blinded, Longitudinal, Clinical Trial with Real Constructive Implementation

Sunlight controls endogen hormone balances and numerous health effects. Therefore, it is important to provide building users, such as schoolchildren, with sufficient daylight. Too much of it, however, leads to overheating, which is why shading systems are used. Consequently, these systems improve energy balance, but might not have positive effects on present people’s health. Within this study, shading systems were installed in classrooms of a middle school: common shading in two rooms, while two others were equipped with shading blades “Schlotterer RETROLux 80D” in an innovative design, reflecting more daylight indoors. The participating classes were divided between rooms with ordinary daylighting (n = 43) and advanced daylighting (n = 42). They spent, on average, 5 days weekly and 5–8 h daily in these classrooms. Saliva samples were collected during three semesters to detect hormonal changes. Questionnaires were collected to obtain more information about the mental alterations and, furthermore, to support the physiological results. A significant reduction in cortisol levels between 6:30 AM and 11:30 AM (p < 0.001) was observed within the group that had advanced daylighting. Questionnaires show that both groups sleep less as study duration increases (p < 0.001 time effect), but only the control group has a concurrent increase in daytime sleepiness according to relative treatment effects. The results show that increased daylight supply indoors leads to a significant greater reduction in cortisol levels of children and that those positive outcomes can be achieved by using innovative technologies for buildings.

The use of PROMIS measures in clinical research in stroke patients, a systematic literature review

Objective

To systematically describe the use and outcomes of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures in clinical studies in populations with stroke.

Data Sources

A systematic search on the use of PROMIS measures in clinical stroke studies in 9 electronic databases.

Study Selection

Studies had to be original, reporting on outcome data using PROMIS measures in populations with stroke (ischemic and/or hemorrhagic), from January 1st, 2007. Initially, 174 unique studies met the inclusion criteria. In 2 steps, titles, abstracts and full-text articles were screened for eligibility (2 authors independently).

Data Extraction

From the selected articles, study characteristics, type of PROMIS measures, and its outcomes were extracted by 2 authors independently. The authors discussed their views to achieve consensus. A third author was consulted if necessary.

Data Synthesis

In total, 27 studies (24,366 patients) were included, predominantly from the United States (22); most study populations were hospital-based (20); the number of patients ranged from 30-3283. In general, patients had no or mild symptoms (median modified Rankin scale 1). Two different generic PROMIS measures were reported (PROMIS Global Health, PROMIS 29) and 9 PROMIS measures focusing on specific domains (sleep, pain, physical functioning, self-efficacy, satisfaction with social roles, depression, anxiety, cognition, fatigue). These match the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) domains mentioned in the Core Set for Stroke. The measures were administered 1-55 months after stroke. Outcome data are provided. Pooling of data was not achieved because of a large variety in study characteristics (inclusion criteria, follow-up moments, data processing).

Conclusions

The PROMIS measures in this review could be relevant from a patient's perspective, covering ICF core set domains for patients with stroke. The large variety in study characteristics hampers comparisons across populations. Many different outcome measures are used to report results of stroke rehabilitation studies.

Inclusion of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Adolescent and Young Adult Phase III Therapeutic Trials: An Analysis of Cancer Clinical Trials Registered on ClinicalTrials.gov

OBJECTIVES

There is a paucity of research on the impact of cancer treatment on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are self-report measures used to assess HRQOL and symptom burden. The extent to which PROs have been included in trials that include common AYA cancer types has not been previously assessed.

METHODS

Therapeutic phase 3 trials among common AYA cancer types (Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, sarcomas, and germ cell tumors) initiated between 2007 and 2020 were identified on ClinicalTrials.gov. The proportions and characteristics of trials including a PRO endpoint were assessed. For comparison with an older population, the proportion of breast and colorectal therapeutic phase 3 trials including PRO endpoints were assessed.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 20.7% of therapeutic phase 3 AYA trials included a PRO endpoint, and only one trial published PRO data. Germ cell tumors (42.9%) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (40%) trials had the highest proportions of PRO inclusion. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer generic, cancer-specific quality of life questionnaire was the most commonly used PRO measure; nevertheless, the measures used varied within and between cancer types. The proportion of trials including a PRO endpoint did not change significantly between 2007 to 2013 and 2014 to 2020 (18.6% vs 22.7%, P=.79).

CONCLUSIONS

Few therapeutic phase 3 AYA cancer trials include PRO endpoints, fewer publish PRO data, and there is no homogeneity in the measures administered. Therapeutic trials represent an underused opportunity to capture PRO data in the AYA population with the goal of improving HRQOL outcomes.

Yoga in the Pediatric Oncology Population: A Review of the Literature

Background: The purpose of this review was to evaluate the current body of literature on yoga in the pediatric oncology population. Considering the increasing number of studies on yoga indicating improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQL) among the adult oncology population, it is important to explore whether similar benefits have been found in pediatric oncology patients. Methods: CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were searched from the years 2010 through 2020 for studies assessing the use of yoga in children and adolescents affected by cancer. Considering the benefits of yoga on HRQL in the adult oncology population, the aim of this review was to evaluate the current body of literature on yoga in the pediatric cancer population. Results: Eight studies, all nonrandomized with single-arm designs, were reviewed. Five of the studies were designed as feasibility studies and while recruitment rates ranged from 34% to 55%, retention rates were ∼70%. Qualitative feedback from participants was very positive and themes related to both physical and psychological benefits. Certain measures of HRQL (i.e., anxiety, pain, and physical functioning) were found to be significantly improved following a yoga intervention. Discussion: Although no randomized clinical trials have been conducted to date on this important topic, the studies reviewed showed that delivering yoga to this population is feasible and safe. Additionally, preliminary findings on the impact of yoga for some of the common symptoms and treatment-related side effects experienced by children and adolescents affected by cancer are promising.

A Systematic Review of Self-Report Instruments for the Measurement of Anxiety in Hospitalized Children with Cancer

Anxiety has been identified as one of the most severe and long-lasting symptoms experienced by hospitalized children with cancer. Self-reports are especially important for documenting emotional and abstract concepts, such as anxiety. Children may not always be able to communicate their symptoms due to language difficulties, a lack of developmental language skills, or the severity of their illness. Instruments with sufficient psychometric quality and pictorial support may address this communication challenge. The purpose of this review was to systematically search the published literature and identify validated and reliable self-report instruments available for children aged 5–18 years to use in the assessment of their anxiety to ensure they receive appropriate anxiety-relief intervention in hospital. What validated self-report instruments can children with cancer use to self-report anxiety in the hospital setting? Which of these instruments offer pictorial support? Eight instruments were identified, but most of the instruments lacked pictorial support. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL™) 3.0 Brain Tumor Module and Cancer Module proved to be useful in hospitalized children with cancer, as they provide pictorial support. It is recommended that faces or symbols be used along with the VAS, as pictures are easily understood by younger children. Future studies could include the adaptation of existing instruments in digital e-health tools.

Few guidelines offer recommendations on how to assess and manage anxiety and distress in children with cancer: a content analysis

PURPOSE

To (1) describe and compare, across all eligible guidelines, recommendations that address any aspect of clinical assessment or management of anxiety and distress experienced by children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and (2) assess guideline characteristics that influence identified recommendations.

METHODS

We searched five databases for relevant guidelines and conducted a grey literature search. Guidelines had to refer to children 0-18 years old who were undergoing cancer treatment or HSCT, describe any aspect of clinical assessment or management of symptoms of anxiety and distress, and be publicly accessible and published in English on or after 2000.

RESULTS

We identified 118 guidelines on pediatric cancer of which 13 mentioned clinical assessment or management of anxiety and distress. Six contained ≥ 1 recommendation addressing assessments of symptoms of which only two recommended specific screening instruments. Ten contained ≥ 1 recommendation addressing interventions for symptoms, of which six described specific interventions such as distraction and medication. Psychologists and nurses were the most common panel members and three guideline panels included a patient advocate. Only two guidelines received overall quality ratings > 80.0%.

CONCLUSION

We identified no guidelines that were specific to clinical assessment or management of anxiety and distress among children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment or HSCT, and thus, clinicians lack evidence-informed guidance on how to manage these specific symptoms. Future research should establish high-quality guidelines that offer recommendations specific to clinical assessment and management of anxiety and distress in pediatric oncology and HSCT.

Systematic Review of Primary Outcome Measurements for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) in Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: Due to its unknown etiology, the objective diagnosis and therapeutics of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) are still challenging. Generally, the patient-reported outcome (PRO) is the major strategy driving treatment response because the patient is the most important judge of whether changes are meaningful. Methods: In order to determine the overall characteristics of the main outcome measurement applied in clinical trials for CFS/ME, we systematically surveyed the literature using two electronic databases, PubMed and the Cochrane Library, throughout June 2020. We analyzed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for CFS/ME focusing especially on main measurements. Results: Fifty-two RCTs out of a total 540 searched were selected according to eligibility criteria. Thirty-one RCTs (59.6%) used single primary outcome and others adapted ≥2 kinds of measurements. In total, 15 PRO-derived tools were adapted (50 RCTs; 96.2%) along with two behavioral measurements for adolescents (4 RCTs; 7.7%). The 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36; 16 RCTs), Checklist Individual Strength (CIS; 14 RCTs), and Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ; 11 RCTs) were most frequently used as the main outcomes. Since the first RCT in 1996, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and SF-36 have been dominantly used each in the first and following decade (26.1% and 28.6%, respectively), while both CIS and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) have been the preferred instruments (21.4% each) in recent years (2016 to 2020). Conclusions: This review comprehensively provides the choice pattern of the assessment tools for interventions in RCTs for CFS/ME. Our data would be helpful practically in the design of clinical studies for CFS/ME-related therapeutic development.

Feeling scared or worried self-report in children receiving cancer treatments using the Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi)

INTRODUCTION

The objectives of this study were to describe reports of bother for feeling scared or worried among children with cancer and pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, and to identify factors associated with it.

METHODS

We included children receiving cancer treatments who were 8-18 years of age. Three patient types were enrolled: inpatients receiving active cancer treatment, outpatients receiving maintenance acute lymphoblastic leukemia chemotherapy, and outpatients in survivorship. Amount of bother due to feeling scared or worried yesterday or today was self-reported using the Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) on a 0-4 scale. Risk factors were evaluated using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among the 502 children included, 225 (45.0%) reported any degree of bother (score ≥ 1) and 29 (5.8%) reported severe bother (score ≥ 3) for feeling scared or worried. In multiple regression evaluating any bother, boys were less likely to be bothered (odds ratio (OR) 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.87) and inpatients receiving active cancer treatment were more likely to be bothered compared to outpatients in survivorship (OR 3.58, 95% CI 2.00-6.52). The only factor associated with being severely bothered by feeling scared or worried was clinic visit or admission due to fever (OR 4.57, 95% CI 1.24-13.60).

DISCUSSION

We found 45% of children receiving cancer treatments reported being bothered by feeling scared or worried. Girls and inpatients receiving active treatment experienced more bother of any degree, while visiting the hospital due to fever was associated with being severely bothered. Future work should identify interventions to prevent or alleviate this symptom.

Use of the Chatbot "Vivibot" to Deliver Positive Psychology Skills and Promote Well-Being Among Young People After Cancer Treatment: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial

BACKGROUND

Positive psychology interventions show promise for reducing psychosocial distress associated with health adversity and have the potential to be widely disseminated to young adults through technology.

OBJECTIVE

This pilot randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility of delivering positive psychology skills via the Vivibot chatbot and its effects on key psychosocial well-being outcomes in young adults treated for cancer.

METHODS

Young adults (age 18-29 years) were recruited within 5 years of completing active cancer treatment by using the Vivibot chatbot on Facebook messenger. Participants were randomized to either immediate access to Vivibot content (experimental group) or access to only daily emotion ratings and access to full chatbot content after 4 weeks (control). Created using a human-centered design process with young adults treated for cancer, Vivibot content includes 4 weeks of positive psychology skills, daily emotion ratings, video, and other material produced by survivors, and periodic feedback check-ins. All participants were assessed for psychosocial well-being via online surveys at baseline and weeks 2, 4, and 8. Analyses examined chatbot engagement and open-ended feedback on likability and perceived helpfulness and compared experimental and control groups with regard to anxiety and depression symptoms and positive and negative emotion changes between baseline and 4 weeks. To verify the main effects, follow-up analyses compared changes in the main outcomes between 4 and 8 weeks in the control group once participants had access to all chatbot content.

RESULTS

Data from 45 young adults (36 women; mean age: 25 [SD 2.9]; experimental group: n=25; control group: n=20) were analyzed. Participants in the experimental group spent an average of 74 minutes across an average of 12 active sessions chatting with Vivibot and rated their experience as helpful (mean 2.0/3, SD 0.72) and would recommend it to a friend (mean 6.9/10; SD 2.6). Open-ended feedback noted its nonjudgmental nature as a particular benefit of the chatbot. After 4 weeks, participants in the experimental group reported an average reduction in anxiety of 2.58 standardized t-score units, while the control group reported an increase in anxiety of 0.7 units. A mixed-effects models revealed a trend-level (P=.09) interaction between group and time, with an effect size of 0.41. Those in the experimental group also experienced greater reductions in anxiety when they engaged in more sessions (z=-1.9, P=.06). There were no significant (or trend level) effects by group on changes in depression, positive emotion, or negative emotion.

CONCLUSIONS

The chatbot format provides a useful and acceptable way of delivering positive psychology skills to young adults who have undergone cancer treatment and supports anxiety reduction. Further analysis with a larger sample size is required to confirm this pattern.

Tools for the assessment of neuropsychomotor profile in the rehabilitation of children with central nervous system tumor: a systematic review

Objective:

This study reviews the scientific literature to identify and describe which assessment tools (ATs) are used in pediatric oncology and neuro-oncology rehabilitation and which development neuropsychomotor (DNPM) ATs were built for children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors.

Methods:

A systematic review was performed searching PubMed, CINAHL, PEDro, Science Direct, and Catalog of National Institute of Tumors databases and specialized journals. The search covered 7 years (2010–2017) and used relevant keywords in different combinations. A further search was carried out on DNPM rehabilitation manuals and academic thesis.

Results:

The review retrieved 35 eligible articles containing 63 ATs. The most common ATs were the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Most of the ATs covered a single area of child development among behavioral/psychological, cognitive, and motor areas. A total of 159 ATs were found in manuals and thesis, and only 17 of them were already identified in the journal search. None of the ATs identified in both searches had been specifically developed for children with CNS tumor.

Conclusion:

The results highlight the need to develop and validate a global multidimensional AT for children with CNS tumor, overcoming the fragmentation of the assessment procedures and promoting standardized rehabilitation protocols.

Corticosteroid use endpoints in neuro-oncology: Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Working Group

Background

Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment for peritumor edema but are often associated with significant side effects. Therapies that can reduce corticosteroid use would potentially be of significant benefit to patients. However, currently there are no standardized endpoints evaluating corticosteroid use in neuro-oncology clinical trials.

Methods

The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group has developed consensus recommendations for endpoints evaluating corticosteroid use in clinical trials in both adults and children with brain tumors.

Results

Responders are defined as patients with a 50% reduction in total daily corticosteroid dose compared with baseline or reduction of the total daily dose to ≤2 mg of dexamethasone (or equivalent dose of other corticosteroid); baseline dose must be at least 4 mg of dexamethasone daily (or equivalent dose of other corticosteroids) for at least one week. Patients must have stable or improved Neurologic Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (NANO) score or Karnofsky performance status score or Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) (Lansky score for children age <16 y), and an improved score on a relevant clinical outcome assessment tool. These criteria must be sustained for at least 4 weeks after baseline assessment to be considered a response, and are confirmed 4 weeks after that (ie, 8 wk after baseline assessment) to be considered a sustained response.

Conclusions

This RANO proposal for corticosteroid use endpoints in neuro-oncology clinical trials may need to be refined and will require prospective validation in clinical studies.