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Children and Adolescents With Leukemia, Brain Tumors, and Sarcomas

Completed
Conditions
Adolescent Cancer
Cancer
Leukemia
Brain Tumor
Sarcoma
Childhood Cancer
Interventions
Other: Non-Interventional
Registration Number
NCT04101123
Lead Sponsor
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Brief Summary

Aim of this study is to investigate the influence of social factors on participation and activity among children and adolescents aged 10-18 years with leukemia, brain tumors, and sarcomas. Furthermore personal and treatment-related factors and their impact on participation will be explored

Detailed Description

Background: About 2000 children and adolescents under the age of 18 develop cancer each year in Germany. Because of more differentiated diagnostics and standardized treatment protocols, a high survival rate can be reached for many types of the disease. Nevertheless, patients face a number of long-term effects related to the treatment. As a result, physical and psychological consequences have increasingly become the focus of research in recent years. Social dimensions of health have rarely been investigated in pediatric oncology so far. Yet, there are no robust results that allow an estimation of whether and to what extent the disease and treatment impair the participation of children and adolescents and which factors mediate this effect. Social participation is of great importance especially because interactions with peers and experiences in different areas of life are essential for the development of children and adolescents.

Methods: Data are collected in a longitudinal, prospective, observational multicenter study. For this purpose, all patients and their parents who are being treated for cancer in one of the participating clinics throughout Germany will be interviewed within the first month after diagnosis (t1), after completion of intensive treatment (t2) and half a year after the end of intensive treatment (t3) using standardized questionnaires. Analysis will be done by descriptive and multivariate methods.

Recruitment: Patients will be consecutively recruited in one of the participating clinics throughout Germany.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
68
Inclusion Criteria
  • newly diagnosed with confirmed leukemia, brain tumor or sarcoma
  • age 10-18 years
  • written informed consent of the patient and of one of the parents if they are under the age of 18
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Exclusion Criteria
  • having a relapse or secondary tumor
  • insufficient command of German
  • profound cognitive and physical impairments
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Children and adolescents with cancerNon-InterventionalChildren and adolescents between 10-18 years with newly diagnosed leukemia, brain tumors, and sarcomas
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Level of quality of lifeWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Questionnaire to assess Health Related Quality of Life in chronically ill Children and Adolescents, KINDL Subscales: physical well-being, emotional well-being, self-esteem, family, friends, school, and a total score Values: range from 0 to 100 (higher values represent better quality of life)

Social participation and activityWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

The Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation, CASP

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Self-conceptWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Self-Description Questionnaire, SDQ

Evaluation of the treatmentEnd of intensive treatment

Questionnaire to assess the Satisfaction with the Treatment, FBB Subscales: success of treatment (range 0-20), relationship to medical team (range 0-28), treatment conditions (range 0-24), and a total score (range 0-72) Values: higher values represent better evaluation

Illness perceptionWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Illness Perception Questionnaire, IPQ

Self-efficacyWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

General Self-Efficacy Scale; SWE

OptimismWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Subscale from The Bern Subjective Well-Being Questionnaire for Adolescents, BFW

Psychosocial problems and strengthsWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ Subscales: emotional problems, conduct problems, peer problems, hyperactivity, and prosocial behavior Values: each scale has a range 0-10 (higher values represent higher problems except prosocial behavior)

Sense of coherenceWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Children Sense of Coherence Scale, C-SOC

Social supportWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Social Support Scale, SSS Values: total score with a range 8-40 (higher values represent higher support)

FatigueWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Subscale Fatigue from the Questionnaire to assess Quality of Life of Cancer Patients developed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, EORTC QLQ-C30 Values: range from 0 to 100 (higher values represent higher symptoms of fatigue)

CopingWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Coping Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, CODI

Mental healthWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Children's Depression Screener, Child-S

AutonomyWithin the first month after diagnosis until half a year after intensive treatment

Subscale from The Kidscreen Questionnaire

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Institute of Medical Sociology

🇩🇪

Halle (Saale), Germany

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