The Evaluation of Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents in an Inpatient Oncology Unit: A 6 Months Follow-up Study

INTRODUCTION: Childhood cancers are life-threatening diseases that are universally distressing and potentially traumatic for children and their families at diagnosis, treatment, and beyond.
METHODS: Thirty-nine child patients between the ages of 0-18 receiving treatment in a pediatric oncology hospital for various pediatric cancers consenting to participate in the study were recruited. The participants were assessed with Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL-DSM5) for ages 6-18 by a trained and certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. Clinical assessments of patients aged 0-5 years were completed by a trained child and adolescent psychiatrist in agreement with the DSM-5 and standard principles of the psychiatric interview with the pediatric population. The previous and current psychiatric diagnoses of the participants were recorded. The Quality of Life Scale for Children (PedsQL) was administered to the participants and their caregivers in the first interview and at the 6th month of follow-up.
RESULTS: While no significant differences in the quality of life of children with a novel diagnosis of pediatric cancer and children with cancer recurrence/ongoing treatment were observed per their own reports, the parents reported significant improvement in the quality of life of their children with a novel cancer diagnosis after six months. The parents’ and their children’s reports were highly correlated, and this association remained significant in multiple linear regression analyses for both the initial interview and the follow-up.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The parents’ reports of their children’s quality of life appear to be reliable in the clinical setting to accurately predict the children’s quality of life.