Symptom profiles in children with advanced cancer: Patient, family caregiver, and oncologist ratings.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Systematic symptom assessment is not routinely performed in pediatric oncology. The objectives of the current study were to characterize the symptoms of pediatric oncology outpatients and evaluate agreement between patient and proxy reports and the association between children's ratings and oncologists' treatment recommendations.

Methods

Two versions of the pediatric Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (pMSAS) were translated into Spanish. An age-appropriate and language-appropriate pMSAS was administered independently before visits to the oncologist to patients and family caregivers (caregivers) and after visits to consenting oncologists. Statistical analysis included Spearman correlation coefficients and weighted kappa values.

Results

English and Spanish re

SUBMITTER: Zhukovsky DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5079108 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature