Adaptación transcultural del cuestionario PedsQL Cancer Module version 3.0 para su uso en Colombia

High Symptom Burden Predicts Poorer Quality of Life Among Children and Adolescents Receiving Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation or Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy

BACKGROUND

Children with cancer and other serious illnesses experience symptom burden during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, yet limited research has characterized how these symptoms interact with overall quality of life over time.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between symptoms and quality of life in children receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.

METHODS

A multisite study design was used to collect symptom and quality of life information at pre-cell infusion and days +30, +60, and +90 from children (N = 140) receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. A longitudinal parallel process model was used to characterize the relationship between symptoms and quality of life.

RESULTS

Children (mean age, 8.4 years) received allogeneic transplant (57.9%), autologous transplant (25.7%), or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (16.4%). Symptom prevalence was highest at baseline (>50%) for pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and low appetite. Quality of life scores were worse at baseline (mean [SD], 69.5 [15.8]) and improved by 10 points by day +90. The longitudinal model indicated high symptom prevalence at baseline predicted worse quality of life at both baseline and day +90.

CONCLUSIONS

Children felt worse early in the treatment trajectory and improved by day +90. The level of symptom burden predicted the overall quality of life at all time points.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Children experiencing high symptom burden should receive frequent assessment and enhanced symptom management throughout the treatment trajectory to mitigate negative impacts on quality of life.

Parent Psychological Distress is Associated with Symptom Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents Undergoing Stem Cell Transplantation or Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Therapy

BACKGROUND

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy are potentially curative treatment options for children with life-threatening conditions, but can result in a high symptom burden, poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and parent psychological distress.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to describe, over time, the association between parent psychological distress with symptom burden and HRQoL among children undergoing HSCT or CAR-T therapy.

STUDY DESIGN

This multisite study employed a longitudinal, repeated measures design. English and Spanish-speaking parents and their children ages 2-18 years with planned HSCT or CAR-T therapy were eligible. Parents completed self-report measures of psychological distress (Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories, Perceived Stress Scale) at 4 timepoints: pre-cell infusion, and days +30, +60, +90 after the child's cell infusion. The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale and PedsQL Cancer Module were administered to children (parent-proxy for younger children) at corresponding timepoints. A symptom cluster called parent distress was created from each parent outcome using exploratory factor analysis. Longitudinal parallel process modeling was used to study the relationship between parent distress and child symptoms and HRQoL over time.

RESULTS

In total, 140 child/parent dyads (280 participants) were enrolled across 4 sites. Child mean age was 8.4 years/SD=5, 56.4% were male, primarily with an underlying diagnosis of malignancy (72.9%). Most parents were mothers (80.7%), mean age of 39 years/SD=8.1. Parent distress was consistently higher than normative means generated from non-clinical samples of adults. High frequency of suicidal ideation was reported by parents (38.5% at baseline, 37% at day +30, 27.4% at day +60. 33.6% at day +90). A significant relationship between parent distress, child HRQoL and child symptoms was observed at baseline and through day +90.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that parents experience clinically relevant psychological distress throughout their child's HSCT or CAR-T therapy and this parent distress is associated with child HRQoL and symptom scores. Increased psychoeducational support tailored to address parental psychological distress is needed and has potential to positively impact the child's HRQoL and symptoms.

Quality of life in paediatric solid tumours: a randomised study of metronomic chemotherapy versus placebo

OBJECTIVE

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome for paediatric cancer studies. We compared the HRQoL between patients of progressive paediatric solid tumours randomised to metronomic chemotherapy versus placebo.

METHODS

In this double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomised study of 108 children with progressive malignancies, HRQoL was evaluated using the PedsQOL Cancer module V.3 at baseline (A1), A2 (9 weeks or earlier if progressed) or A3 (18 weeks or earlier if progressed).

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in the change in quality of life produced by each arm from A1 to A2 in either mean total scores or individual domain scores, reported by children or their parents. On analysing the response according to the minimal clinically important difference, defined as an improvement by 4.5 points, we found no significant differences, be it among bone-sarcomas, other tumours, responders (those who received ≥9 weeks of treatment) or non-responders.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study concludes that there was no significant difference in HRQoL, between the patients in the two arms at second and later assessments. This is consistent with the other survival endpoints in the study.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01858571.