Identifying determinants of quality of life of children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors: a systematic review.

Purpose: This paper describes a systematic review conducted to identify factors that have been investigated as explanations of variability in the quality of life of children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors. Our purpose was to build an evidence base that could be used to guide and direct future research.

Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cancerlit, and Sociological Abstracts were searched from the inception of each database to June 15, 2009 using the following search terms: "quality of life," "health-related quality of life," "quality adjusted life years," "health status," "functional status," "well-being," or "patient-reported outcome.

Inflammatory fibroid polyp associated with early gastric carcinoma: a case report.

Inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP) is a rare mesenchymal lesion of the gastrointestinal tract. The association of IFP with gastric carcinoma has been only reported in 7 previously published cases. We present the case of a 69-year-old man who underwent gastrectomy because of an early gastric carcinoma invading the submucosa with an underlying IFP, which pushed the neoplastic surface to the gastric lumen in a polypoid fashion.

Immigrant to Canada, newcomer to childhood cancer: a qualitative study of challenges faced by immigrant parents.

Background: Given the increasing numbers of immigrant families in Canada, it is imperative that healthcare providers (HCPs) understand the caregiving experiences of immigrant family caregivers. Our study aimed to explore any special challenges faced by immigrant parents of children with cancer and to identify supportive factors.

Methods: A constructivist grounded theory approach was used.

Communication and language challenges experienced by Chinese and South Asian immigrant parents of children with cancer in Canada: implications for health services delivery.

Background: Language is an important aspect of health literacy and plays a vital role in families' ability to access and use health information and resources. Our study explored the role of communication and language in the healthcare experiences of immigrant parents of children with cancer living in Canada.

Procedure: We used a grounded theory approach.

Individuality in bird migration: routes and timing.

The exploration of animal migration has entered a new era with individual-based tracking during multiple years. Here, we investigated repeated migratory journeys of a long-distance migrating bird, the marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, in order to analyse the variation within and between individuals with respect to routes and timing. We found that there was a stronger individual repeatability in time than in space.

Impact of caring for a child with cancer on single parents compared with parents from two-parent families.

Background: It is currently unknown how the intensive and often prolonged treatment of childhood cancer impacts on the lives of single parents. Our aims were to determine whether single parents differ from parents from two-parent families in terms of caregiver demand (the time and effort involved in caregiving), and health-related quality of life (HRQL).

Procedures: Forty single parents and 275 parents from two-parent families were recruited between November 2004 and February 2007 from five pediatric oncology centers in Canada.

Parents of children with cancer: which factors explain differences in health-related quality of life.

Research with parents of children with cancer has identified factors related to their adjustment and coping, but it is not fully understood why some parents do well and others do not. Guided by a stress process model, we examined the interrelationships among a comprehensive set of factors to identify the most important determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in parents of children in active treatment for cancer. A cross-sectional survey of 411 parents (80% response rate) of children receiving cancer treatment in Canada was conducted between November 2004 and February 2007.

Geographical and temporal flexibility in the response to crosswinds by migrating raptors.

Wind and ocean currents may potentially have important effects on travelling animals, as an animal which does not respond to lateral flow will be drifted from its intended direction of movement. By analysing daily movements of migrating ospreys Pandion haliaetus and marsh harriers Circus aeruginosus, as recorded by satellite telemetry, in relation to global wind data, we showed that these raptors allow on average 47 per cent drift. Furthermore, our analyses revealed significant geographical and temporal variation in the response to crosswinds.

Exploring predictors of optimism among parents of children with cancer.

Objective: To explore predictors of optimism in parents of children with cancer.

Methods: A cross-sectional multi-centre study of 411 parents of children in active treatment for cancer was conducted. The Life Orientation Test-Revised was used to assess optimism.

Three-year course of clinical symptomatology in young people at ultra high risk for transition to psychosis.

Objective: The investigation into the course of ultra high risk (UHR) symptomatology of those patients who eventually do not meet the psychosis-threshold criteria within the 3-year timeframe of the study.

Method: The course of UHR symptoms, GAF score and employment status was investigated in 57 patients who did not make a transition to psychosis and who were examined within the Dutch Prediction of Psychosis Study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Results: At the 3-year follow-up, 75% of the patients who did not make a transition to psychosis had remitted from UHR status.

Caregiving demands in parents of children with cancer: psychometric validation of the Care of My Child with Cancer questionnaire.

A comprehensive evaluation of the psychometric properties of Care of My Child With Cancer (CMCC) was performed in a sample of 411 parents of children undergoing treatment of cancer at five Canadian pediatric oncology centers. Psychometric tests used to assess data quality, targeting, reliability, and construct validity demonstrated that the CMCC is a scientific sound measure. The CMCC will be helpful for assessing increasing parental responsibility for caregiving tasks associated with cancer care.

Comparative analysis of Shwachman-Diamond syndrome to other inherited bone marrow failure syndromes and genotype-phenotype correlation.

Our knowledge of the phenotypes of inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) derives from case reports or case series in which only one IBMFS was studied. However, the substantial phenotypic overlap necessitates comparative analysis between the IBMFSs. Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is an IBMFS that the appreciation of what comprises its clinical phenotype is still evolving.

Quality of life during active treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The objectives of the study were to describe quality of life (QoL), identify predictors of worse QoL and examine QoL during different phases of active therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A multiinstitutional cross-sectional study was performed in children with ALL. We included children at least 2 months from diagnosis who were receiving treatment in first remission.

Health-related quality of life outcomes for patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a rare disease with infrequent serious bleeding making clinical trials difficult. One solution to this problem is to use alternative outcome measures such as health-related quality of life (HRQL). This review describes the various HRQL tools available to researchers including measures that are generic (applicable to many different disease types) and disease-specific measures developed explicitly for ITP specifically detailing the Kids' ITP Tools and the ITP-patient administered questionnaire.

Calciphylaxis in chronic renal failure: An approach to risk factors.

We present a case of calcifying panniculitis due to calciphylaxis in a nontherapy compliance 65-year-old man suffering from chronic renal failure. Calciphylaxis, a life threatening condition, is characterized by high calcium x phosphate product, presence of calcium crystals in the skin and secondary hyperparathyroidism. The clinical presentation includes painful firm plaques, which could progress to nonhealing ulcers.

A single blind randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy in a help-seeking population with an At Risk Mental State for psychosis: the Dutch Early Detection and Intervention Evaluation (EDIE-NL) trial.

Background: Psychotic disorders are a serious mental health problem. Intervention before the onset of psychosis might result in delaying the onset, reducing the impact or even preventing the first episode of psychosis. This study explores the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in targeting cognitive biases that are involved in the formation of delusions in persons with an ultra-high risk for developing psychosis.

Fatal neurotoxicity in a patient with down syndrome treated with chemotherapy, irradiation, stem cell transplant, and clofarabine.

Clofarabine is an effective therapy of pediatric patients with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We present a child with Down syndrome who had received previous chemotherapy, cranial radiation, and a stem cell transplant with total body irradiation for her acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She subsequently relapsed and was treated with clofarabine.

Evaluating the ability to detect change of health-related quality of life in children with Hodgkin disease.

Background: We evaluated 4 different health-related quality of life (HRQL) measures prospectively to determine their ability to detect change over time: the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 and Mark 3, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core and Cancer Module, the EuroQol EQ-5D visual analogue scale (EuroQol), and the Lansky Play-Performance Scale.

Methods: Children with all stages of Hodgkin disease from 12 centers across Canada were asked to complete the 4 measures at 4 time points: 2 weeks after the first course of chemotherapy, on the third day of the second course of chemotherapy, during the third week of radiation, and 1 year after diagnosis.

Nurses provide valuable proxy assessment of the health-related quality of life of children with Hodgkin disease.

Background: We prospectively compared the proxy reporting of health-related quality of life (HRQL) by parents and nurses of children with Hodgkin disease to see how well they correlated with the children's report.

Methods: Children with all stages of Hodgkin disease, their parents, and the clinic nurse were all asked to complete 4 different HRQL measures at 4 time points: 2 weeks after the first course of chemotherapy, on the third day of the second course of chemotherapy, during the third week of radiation, and 1 year after diagnosis.

Results: Fifty-one patients from 12 centers across Canada were enrolled in the study between May 1, 2002 and March 31, 2005.

How hazardous is the Sahara Desert crossing for migratory birds? Indications from satellite tracking of raptors.

We investigated the risk associated with crossing the Sahara Desert for migrating birds by evaluating more than 90 journeys across this desert by four species of raptors (osprey Pandion haliaetus, honey buzzard Pernis apivorus, marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus and Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo) recorded by satellite telemetry. Forty per cent of the crossings included events of aberrant behaviours, such as abrupt course changes, slow travel speeds, interruptions, aborted crossings followed by retreats from the desert and failed crossings due to death, indicating difficulties for the migrants. The mortality during the Sahara crossing was 31 per cent per crossing attempt for juveniles (first autumn migration), compared with only 2 per cent for adults (autumn and spring combined).

Measuring disease-specific quality of life in rare populations: a practical approach to cross-cultural translation.

Background: Disease-specific quality of life (QoL) measures have enhanced the capacity of outcome measures to evaluate subtle changes and differences between groups. However, when the specific disease is rare, the cohort of patients is small and international collaboration is often necessary to accomplish meaningful research. As many of the QoL measures have been developed in North American English, they require translation to ensure their usefulness in a multi-cultural and/or international society.

Factors affecting the delivery of family-centered care in pediatric oncology.

Background: The provision of family-centered care (FCC) emphasizes a partnership between parents and health-care providers so that families are involved in every aspect of services for their child. Our study examines factors related to parental perception of the family-centeredness of pediatric oncology services.

Procedure: This Canadian multi-institutional cross-sectional study included children with cancer receiving active treatment.

Relationships among bleeding severity, health-related quality of life, and platelet count in children with immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Important outcomes for children with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) include health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and bleeding severity. A HRQOL instrument for children with ITP, the Kids' ITP Tools (KIT), was recently validated. Secondary analysis of the KIT database was performed to determine relationships among platelet count, bleeding severity and HRQOL.

Baseline differences in clinical symptomatology between ultra high risk subjects with and without a transition to psychosis.

Background: The chance of transition to psychosis in patients at Ultra High Risk for developing psychosis (UHR) is 10-15%. The aim of present study was to investigate differences in baseline clinical symptomatology, general level of functioning (GAF-score) and genetic risk between UHR patients who did (UHR+T) or did not (UHR+NT) make a transition to psychosis. Sharpening UHR inclusion criteria may aid in improving prediction of transition to psychosis.