Parent perspectives on the educational barriers and unmet needs of children with cancer.

Childhood cancer challenges academic success and school engagement, yet little research has described these hardships. This study documented parental perspectives of the educational barriers and unmet needs of youth treated for cancer ( = 102). Treatment-related physical sequelae were noted as common problems interfering with school attendance and engagement.

Understanding parents' approaches to care and treatment of children with cancer when standard therapy has failed.

Purpose: To examine US and United Kingdom (UK) parents' approaches to care and treatment when standard therapy has failed and consider implications for clinical practice.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, ethnographic study of parents, patients, and staff, including participant-observation; open-ended, semistructured interviews; and review of medical records at a US and UK pediatric oncology center. Thirty-four children (n = 17 US, 17 UK), whose disease had recurred with less than 30% chance of cure, were enrolled between March 2001 and June 2002 and followed until death (n = 11 US, 14 UK) or close of study in December 2005 (n = 6 US, 3 UK).