Psychological Aspects of Childhood Cancer

Abstract

Advances in biomedical science have resulted in a dramatically improved long-term prognosis for children and adolescents who are diagnosed as having cancer. As childhood cancer has gradually evolved into a life-threatening chronic illness, psychological factors have progressively assumed a more prominent role. This article presents a review of selected data-based psychological studies published during the past five years, delineated into four primary areas: psychosocial functioning of the child and his or her family, adherence to therapeutic regimens, nausea and vomiting, and pain from diagnostic and treatment procedures. The authors suggest that future research should involve large-scale prospective longitudinal studies, based on the collaboration of many cancer centers, that utilize multivariate statistical procedures.