Symptom Screening Linked to Care Pathways for Pediatric Patients With Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Pediatric patients with cancer commonly experience severely bothersome symptoms. The effectiveness of routine symptom screening with symptom feedback and symptom management care pathways is unknown.

Objective: To determine whether thrice-weekly symptom screening with symptom feedback and management care pathways, compared with usual care, improves overall self-reported symptom scores measured by the Symptom Screening in Pediatrics Tool (SSPedi) in pediatric patients with cancer.

The use of anakinra in the treatment of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) can be familial or secondary, which is often triggered by infection or malignancy. HLH therapy includes dexamethasone and etoposide. However, therapy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

The state of the science for communication training in pediatric oncology: A systematic review.

Within the field of pediatric oncology, communication skills training (CST) has been recognized as a high priority by professional and accrediting organizations. However, the effectiveness of formalized CST interventions for pediatric oncology providers remains poorly understood. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycInfo for original research articles assessing the effectiveness and quality of CST interventions targeting pediatric oncology clinicians.

Delivering Challenging News: An Illness-Trajectory Communication Curriculum for Multispecialty Oncology Residents and Fellows.

Introduction: Published curricula to teach communication skills for postgraduate fellows in oncology are few in number despite the fact that oncologists conduct many difficult discussions with their patients and their families. Such discussions may include disclosing initial diagnosis or relapse of a patient's cancer or relaying a poor prognosis or change to palliative care.

Methods: An eight-module course on communication in oncology practice was delivered over 2 months for palliative and oncology fellows and radiation oncology residents.

Pediatric Oncologic Emergencies.

The overall prognosis for most pediatric cancers is good. Mortality for all childhood cancers combined is approximately half what it was in 1975, and the survival rates of many malignancies continue to improve. However, the incidence of childhood cancer is significant and the related emergencies that develop acutely carry significant morbidity and mortality.

Pediatric oncologic emergencies.

The overall prognosis for most pediatric cancers is good. Mortality for all childhood cancers combined is approximately half what it was in 1975, and the survival rates of many malignancies continue to improve. However, the incidence of childhood cancer is significant and the related emergencies that develop acutely carry significant morbidity and mortality.