A systematic review and pooled prevalence of symptoms among childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

Abstract

Aims and objectives:To systematically review the existing literature reporting symptoms in childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and to metaanalyse the pooled prevalence of symptoms.Background: Cancer survivors experience various symptoms caused by cancer treatments and their late effects. These symptoms are associated with adverse health outcomes. However, estimates of symptom prevalence vary largely, and no comprehensive review of symptoms has been conducted for childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Design: A systematic review.Methods: This systematic review is registered in PROSPERO registry and was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL were searched up to July 2021. Three investigators assessed the eligibility of studies, extracted data and performed quality assessment.The pooled prevalence of symptoms was calculated using a random-effect model. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify heterogeneity.Results: Sixty-one studies were used to synthesise symptom prevalence, involving 114,184 participants. There were 24 physical symptoms and 10 psychological symptoms reported in two or more studies. The most studied physical symptoms were fatigue and sleep disturbance, and the most studied psychological symptoms were anxiety and depression. Among physical symptoms, drowsiness had the highest prevalence, followed by dry mouth and fatigue. Among psychological symptoms, worry and nervousness had the highest prevalence, followed by difficulty concentrating.Conclusions: Physical and psychological symptoms are common in the target population. This review provides an up-to-date overview of symptom prevalence, identifying areas for future research.Relevance to clinical practice: Education about possible symptoms related to cancer and its treatment should be given while in treatment. Symptoms should also be monitored throughout the survivorship period. Nurses have a critical role in identifying and making referrals for psychological symptoms as well as promoting preventative strategies that enhance well-being.

Longitudinal changes of psychological distress among childhood cancer survivors: The Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

“…Longitudinal studies of psychological distress in childhood cancer survivors remain scarce. 3 In our longitudinal assessment, we noted an increase by double in the prevalence of psychological distress from 13% to 25% over 2.4 years of observation. Moreover, 9% were persistently distressed at T2.…”

“…1 Reviews have estimated that up to 40% of childhood cancer survivors suffer from anxiety and depression, respectively. [2][3][4][5] Female survivors and those older at diagnosis and at the time of study, were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Additionally, survivors who were unemployed, had lower education, lower household income, and were single, were more likely to report depression, anxiety, somatization, and overall distress.…”

“…[11][12][13][14] The emergence of late physical effects from cancer and its treatment or the experience of social difficulties after cancer may impact psychological wellbeing long after cancer has been cured. 4 Although some studies have examined long-term psychological distress at a single point in time, 3 there is limited knowledge regarding longitudinal changes of psychological distress after childhood cancer. Distress may increase due to onset of new late effects or decrease because of better adjustment to life as a cancer survivor.…”

Decision‐making trade‐offs: A classic grounded theory study of Chinese acute leukaemia patients and their family caregivers across the trajectory of illness

“…The transition of the nurse's role from medical specialist to that of coach in the shared clinical decision-making process is highly complex and this role transition may require more time and training (Lenzen et al, 2018). Nurses may play a vital role in developing and coordinating personalized and culturally sensitive survival care plans (Hong et al, 2022) in addition to understanding the decision-making process of patients and their families to help develop dynamic care measures.…”

Effect Evaluation of Mental Nursing in Nursing of Young Cancer Patients Based on Big Data

“…Young patients with cancer generally fall under the age group of 15-39 years. The National Cancer Institute records the lowest age of cancer-affected patients as 12 years and the highest as 45 years (4). The majority of the patients who fall under the lower age bracket are moving toward independence and monotony, desire to lead their social and financial life independently, ready to take up social and financial responsibilities, ready to take up work, and eventually set up personal goals and values for life (1).…”