Approximately 1.2 million new cases of invasive cancers are diagnosed annually in the United States.

More than 12,000 of these cases involve children

Childhood Cancer Epidemiology Author: Gary M Kupfer, MD; Chief Editor: Robert J Arceci, MD, PhD April 2007

In the Philippines, cancer ranks third in leading causes of morbidity and mortality after communicable diseases and cardiovascular diseases (Department of HealthHealth Intelligence Service or DOH HIS, 1992, 1996)

In the Philippines, 75% of all cancers occur after age 50 years, and only about 3% occur at age 14 years and below.
Cancer and the Philippine Cancer Control Program (2010) Corazon A. Ngelangel1 and Edward H. M. Wang

A diagnosis of childhood cancer is an unexpected life event that often precipitates a situational crisis for all family members.
Required cancer treatments and other ongoing stressors for both child and family will significantly disrupt the familys equilibrium and well-being.

A META-ANALYSIS ON PARENTAL COPING INTERVENTIONS FOR PARENTS OF PEDIATRIC CANCER PATIENTS

META-ANALYSIS

to determine the potential efficacy of coping intervention programs for parents of pediatric cancer patients. to determine the common potential effective coping intervention for parents of children diagnosed with cancer.

EBSCOhost and PubMed before 2011 using combinations key words: parental coping/adjustment, parents, and pediatric cancer. EBSCOhost yielded 55 results 22 were excluded upon limiting the search to parental coping and/or adjustment. narrowed to 3 upon restriction to randomized control, prospective designs. PubMed, 245 articles were yielded. 2 articles when searching for randomized control and prospective designs.

analyzed the parental coping interventions quantitatively. included both the mother and the father of the child diagnosed with cancer. No specific type of cancer was considered in the research.

TITLE

VARIABLES

DESI GN RCT

YEARS CONDUCTED THE STUDY Two (2) years. Parents were asked to complete questionnaires within 14 days after consent (Tl); 6 months later, which was immediately postintervention (T2); and at 12 months (T3) postdiagnosis, 6 months after completion of the intervention. 36 months (three years)

RESULTS/FINDINGS

Brief Report: An Intervention Program for Parents of Pediatric Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Parents of pediatric cancer patients Psychoeducational intervention program (cognitive and behavioral techniques)

Although the clinical evaluation of the intervention was positive, it appeared that a structured intervention program as described in this study was not any more effective than standard care. The intervention was psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Attention was paid to the expression of emotions, to the identification and challenging of negative automatic thoughts, to the encouragement of problem-focused coping skills, to communication and assertiveness skills, and to information about the possible psychosocial consequences of the treatment for the ill child and the whole family. Those families who engaged in the intervention found the program helpful and suited to their needs. Caregivers commented on the unique format of the multi-family group video discussion groups and reported that the video-taped discussions of other families talking about the time period following diagnosis were especially helpful in providing support and reassurance.

Conducting a Randomized Clinical Trial of an Psychological Intervention for Parents/Caregiv ers of Children with Cancer Shortly after Diagnosis

brief intervention for caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Eighty-one families Measures of state anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms served as outcomes.

RCT

TITLE

VARIABLES

DESIGN

YEARS CONDUCTED THE STUDY

RESULTS/FINDINGS

Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes from a Pilot Study of a Brief Psychological Intervention for Families of Children Newly Diagnosed with Cancer

Three-session intervention for caregivers of children newly diagnosed with cancer, Surviving Cancer Competently Intervention ProgramNewly Diagnosed (SCCIP-ND). 38 caregivers

RCT

Two months

The positive responses of caregivers regarding The Multiple Family Video Discussion Group was an innovation introduced to provide a sense of normalization and connection with other families. The video provides the opportunity to standardize the sessions in ways that in-person family discussion groups do not

Parental Coping With the Diagnosis of Childhood Cancer; Gender Effects, Dissimilarity within Couples, and Quality of Life

Parental Coping 108 parents out of 54 complete families

Prospectiv e study

January 1998 and June 1999 (one year and six months)

Compared with fathers, mothers more frequently use social support seeking strategies, information seeking, and religious coping, and they are more successful in maintaining family integration and optimism, in maintaining personal stability, and in understanding the medical situation of their child. This study, by including and retaining fathers, showed that, surprisingly, no major differences were found between fathers and mothers in psychological functioning and coping behaviour following the diagnosis and with time. Both partners seem to have a benefit from complementary coping styles in social support seeking and religious strategies, at least in terms of an increased personal quality of life.

TITLE

VARIABLES

DESIGN

YEARS CONDUCTED THE STUDY 26 months (two years and two months)

RESULTS/FINDINGS

The feasibility of offering a family level intervention to parents of children with cancer

Family level interventions Parents of children with cancer

Longitudinal

Majority of the participating families visited the information and educational part of the website (which was developed specifically for this intervention study), over the time period of the study, and about two of the three of the families asked for two support interviews. However, to conclude about effects on parents wellbeing, coping, hardiness and adaptation, the intervention needs to be refined (e.g. updating information on the website and critically evaluating the support provided via the Internet) and to be tested with a bigger sample, a control group, and for a longer period of time.

All coping interventions provided in the researches were found effective for parents of pediatric cancer patients. However, in the randomized control researches, the intervention programs had no significant difference in terms of efficacy with the standard or usual interventions rendered. Of all the five researches, the most common parental coping intervention used, which was found effective, was the through the use of information. Thus, the evidence of information seeking behavior was proven in all of the studies. Coping was evident through the sessions with social workers, discussion groups, and website related to information and education in the researches.

More randomized control studies should be done on the significant difference with the normal or standard interventions and program interventions in terms of parental coping for parents of pediatric cancer patients. Further research is recommended on the focus of the study with consideration on the sample population. A large population sample is suggested to further verify the result of this meta-analysis.