Dataset Information

Psychosocial Support for Pediatric Patients at Proton Therapy Institutions.

ABSTRACT: Purpose:Pediatric patients with cancer benefit significantly from psychosocial support during and after treatment, but to date, limited data exist regarding the patterns of psychosocial support provided to patients in radiation oncology departments. The purpose of this study was to assess the supportive care services provided at proton therapy institutions in the United States with a specific focus on education, parental involvement, and coping techniques. Materials and Methods:Physicians, nurses, and child life specialists at 29 operational proton therapy facilities in the United States were sent an online questionnaire regarding pediatric treatment support. The survey consisted of 10 questions exploring strategies employed to educate and support pediatric patients before and during radiotherapy. Results:Staff members from 23 of 29 operational proton centers (79%) in the United States completed the survey. Three centers (10%) declined to participate, and three (10%) did not complete the questionnaire. Respondents permitted parental presence for body positioning on the first day of treatment and every day of treatment if needed at 95.6% (22 of 23) and 73.9% (17 of 23) of the centers, respectively. Primary education methods included a facility tour (91.3%; 21 of 23) and psychological preparation (78.3%; 17 of 23). Physicians (82.6%; 19 of 23), nurses (73.9%; 17 of 23), and child life specialists (69.6%; 16 of 23) most commonly provided education to pediatric patients and their families. Only 21.7% (5 of 23) of the facilities reported documentation of a psychosocial support policy. Common coping techniques included music (87.0%; 20 of 23), parental presence for positioning (73.9%; 17 of 23), listening to audio recordings (73.9%; 17 of 23), aromatherapy on or near the patient (73.9%; 17 of 23), and use of a stress ball (65.2%; 15 of 23). Conclusion:Proton therapy institutions frequently offered psychologic preparation before treatment and employed various coping strategies. Based on this survey, we propose several recommendations to raise awareness and improve the experience of pediatric patients at radiation oncology centers.

SUBMITTER: Boik N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7574829 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Psychosocial Support for Pediatric Patients at Proton Therapy Institutions.

Boik Nicole N Hall Matthew D MD

International journal of particle therapy 20200604 1

<h4>Purpose</h4>Pediatric patients with cancer benefit significantly from psychosocial support during and after treatment, but to date, limited data exist regarding the patterns of psychosocial support provided to patients in radiation oncology departments. The purpose of this study was to assess the supportive care services provided at proton therapy institutions in the United States with a specific focus on education, parental involvement, and coping techniques.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>Ph ...[more]

PMID: 33094133

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Project description:OBJECT The aim of the study was to document postoperative cerebral glucose distribution before proton therapy using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) in children with craniopharyngioma. METHODS Between August 2011 and April 2014, 50 patients (20 males, 30 females) enrolled in a prospective trial for craniopharyngioma underwent FDG PET imaging before proton therapy. Proton therapy was delivered using doublescattered beams with a total prescribed dose of 54 cobalt gray equivalent. Tracer uptake in each of 63 anatomical regions was computed after warping PET images to a 3D reference template in Talairach coordinates. Regional uptake was deemed significantly low or high if it exceeded age-corresponding 95% prediction intervals of the normal population. The reference group included 132 children with non-CNS-related diseases and normal-appearing cerebral FDG PET scans. RESULTS Median patient age at diagnosis was 8.5 years (range 2-18 years). Forty-eight patients underwent 1-4 tumor-related surgeries before proton therapy, including placement of an Ommaya reservoir in 14 patients. Sixteen patients had symptomatic hydrocephalus that was treated with temporary (external ventricular drain, n = 16) or permanent CSF shunting (ventriculoperitoneal shunt, n = 1). The most commonly seen PET abnormalities in patients before proton therapy were significantly reduced uptake in subregions of the frontal lobe (often involving more than 1 gyrus), medial and ventral portions of the temporal lobe, cingulate gyrus, and caudate nucleus. A significantly high uptake was frequently observed on the contralateral side, including the superior, medial, and inferior temporal gyri and a large portion of the parietal lobe. Statistically significant predictor variables identified in the multivariate analysis for the extent of hypometabolism were sex (p = 0.005), hydrocephalus (p = 0.026), and the number of tumor-related surgeries (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS Postoperative FDG PET of patients with craniopharyngioma revealed metabolic abnormalities in specific regions of the brain. The ability to identify anatomical metabolic defects in individual patients facilitates the investigation of brain injury in children with craniopharyngioma.

Project description:At present, proton craniospinal irradiation (CSI) for growing children is delivered to the whole vertebral body (WVB) to avoid asymmetric growth. We aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and potential clinical benefit of delivering vertebral body sparing (VBS) versus WVB CSI with passively scattered (PS) and intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) in growing children treated for medulloblastoma.Five plans were generated for medulloblastoma patients, who had been previously treated with CSI PS proton radiation therapy: (1) single posteroanterior (PA) PS field covering the WVB (PS-PA-WVB); (2) single PA PS field that included only the thecal sac in the target volume (PS-PA-VBS); (3) single PA IMPT field covering the WVB (IMPT-PA-WVB); (4) single PA IMPT field, target volume including thecal sac only (IMPT-PA-VBS); and (5) 2 posterior-oblique (-35°, +35°) IMPT fields, with the target volume including the thecal sac only (IMPT2F-VBS). For all cases, 23.4 Gy (relative biologic effectiveness [RBE]) was prescribed to 95% of the spinal canal. The dose, linear energy transfer, and variable-RBE-weighted dose distributions were calculated for all plans using the tool for particle simulation, version 2, Monte Carlo system.IMPT VBS techniques efficiently spared the anterior vertebral bodies (AVBs), even when accounting for potential higher variable RBE predicted by linear energy transfer distributions. Assuming an RBE of 1.1, the V10 Gy(RBE) decreased from 100% for the WVB techniques to 59.5% to 76.8% for the cervical, 29.9% to 34.6% for the thoracic, and 20.6% to 25.1% for the lumbar AVBs, and the V20 Gy(RBE) decreased from 99.0% to 17.8% to 20.0% for the cervical, 7.2% to 7.6% for the thoracic, and 4.0% to 4.6% for the lumbar AVBs when IMPT VBS techniques were applied. The corresponding percentages for the PS VBS technique were higher.Advanced proton techniques can sufficiently reduce the dose to the vertebral body and allow for vertebral column growth for children with central nervous system tumors requiring CSI. This was true even when considering variable RBE values. A clinical trial is planned for VBS to the thoracic and lumbosacral spine in growing children.

Project description:BackgroundPediatric burn injuries are a major cause of death and injury, occurring mainly in resource poor environments. Recovery from burns is widely reported to be constrained by physical, psychological, relationship and reintegration challenges. These challenges have been widely described, but not the enablers of psychosocial recovery. This is especially true in pediatric burn research, with few multi- perspective studies on the recovery process.MethodsThis qualitative study involved 8 focus group discussions (four with 15 children post-burn injury, four with 15 caregivers) and 12 individual interviews with staff working in pediatric burns that explored the psychosocial needs of children after a burn and the enablers of their recovery. Purposive sampling was utilized and recruitment of all three categories of participants was done primarily through the only hospital burns unit in the Western Cape, South Africa. The interviews focused on factors that supported the child's recovery and were sequentially facilitated from the child and the family's experiences during hospitalization, to the return home to family and friends, followed by re-entry into school. Thematic analysis was used to analyze verbatim interview transcripts.ResultsThe recovery enablers that emerged included: (i) Presence and reassurance; indicating the comfort and practical help provided by family and close friends in the hospital and throughout the recovery process; (ii) Normalizing interactions and acceptance; where children were treated the same as before the injury to promote the acceptance of self and by others especially once the child returned home; and (iii) Sensitization of others and protection; signifying how persons around the child had assisted the children to deal with issues in the reintegration process including the re-entry to school.ConclusionsThis study indicates that the psychosocial recovery process of children hospitalized for burns is enabled by the supportive relationships from family members, close friends and burn staff, present during hospitalization, the return home, and school re-entry. Support included comfort and physical presence of trusted others and emotional support; affirmation of the child's identity and belonging despite appearance changes; and the advocacy and protection for the re-entry back into the school, and more generally the community.

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Psychosocial Support for Pediatric Patients at Proton Therapy Institutions.

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Psychosocial Support for Pediatric Patients at Proton Therapy Institutions.

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