Psychometric evaluation of the Impact of Cancer (IOC-CS) scale for young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Introduction: Psychosocial outcomes derived from standardized and disease-specific measures are often used in pediatric oncology; however, the reliability, validity and utility of these instruments in adult survivors of childhood cancer have yet to be established.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a new instrument that measures aspects of long-term survivorship not measured by existing tools.

Methods: A new candidate instrument--the Impact of Cancer for childhood cancer survivors (IOC-CS)--was administered to childhood cancer survivors aged 18-39 who were 21 years of age or younger when diagnosed with cancer.

To foster healing among adolescents and young adults with cancer: what helps? What hurts?

Purpose: The physical and emotional well-being of adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYA) rests on the ability of all concerned to promote helpful forms of care and reduce hurtful forms. The purpose of this study was to identify aspects of behavior that may promote or inhibit healthy psychosocial adjustment for this age-defined population.

Method: Seventeen young adult cancer survivors participated in focus groups to discuss what people said or did that they found helpful or hurtful.

Thematic evidence of psychosocial thriving in childhood cancer survivors.

Advances in medical treatment for childhood cancer have resulted in dramatically increased survival rates and a growing population of long-term survivors. Until recently, researchers reported primarily negative psychosocial sequelae of childhood cancer. Emergent conceptual frameworks propose that the assumption of pathology or long-term deficits in functioning might obscure an understanding of the full range of outcomes.

Quality of life in childhood cancer survivors.

The successful treatment for children with cancer has greatly increased the survival rates for these young people compared to children diagnosed with cancer 30 years ago. These new medical realities direct attention to the psychosocial consequences of successful treatment and subsequent survival. In this paper, quality of life in 176 childhood cancer survivors (age 16-28) is assessed using a survey instrument designed for cancer survivors.