How children with cancer communicate and think about symptoms.

Background: For clinicians to effectively help children with their illness and symptoms, it is important to communicate with them in a language they can understand.

Methods: This study investigates how well children with cancer and healthy children understood 44 symptom terms; their thoughts about these symptoms in terms of causes, consequences, and cures; and what other terms the children use to express these symptoms. It also explores if there are differences in understanding and thoughts about symptoms between children who have the experience of cancer and those who do not.