• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • Write for us
  • Contact us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home All Specialties Oncology

Study examines parental hope in childhood advanced cancer

byPuja UmaretiyaandCordelia Ross
April 13, 2015
in Oncology, Pediatrics
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

1. In this study examining conversations between parents and physicians regarding prognosis of children with advanced cancer, most physicians communicated at least 1 statement about the child’s prognosis, though 25% used nonspecific statements. None of these physicians asked parents about their hopes.

2. The majority of parents expressed a hope for a cure, while recognizing that this was contradictory to their expectations of the prognosis. When asked for other hopes, many stated quality of life and minimal suffering.

Study Rundown: Though parents of children with cancer continue to have hope, little is known about the nature of that hope and whether parents are able to reconcile hope with a poor prognosis. This study recorded conversations that took place between physicians and parents of children with advanced cancer. Interviews were also recorded with parents about their hopes to characterize and better understand parental hope. Most physicians communicated at least 1 statement about the child’s prognosis and presented treatment options. A little over half expressed their own hopes, while none asked the parents about their hopes. While the majority of parents continued to hope for a cure, almost 75% of these parents also realized that their hopes contradicted their expectations of the prognosis. This study is limited by generalizability, as the majority of participants were white and non-English speaking parents were excluded. However, this study highlights that physicians may be able enhance end-of-life care for children with advanced cancer by asking parents about their hopes, recognizing that many parents understand that some hopes may be incongruent with their expectations.

Click to read the study, published in Pediatrics

Relevant Reading: The breadth of hopes.

In-Depth [cross-sectional study]: Participants were 32 parents of children with newly recurrent or refractory advanced cancer and their physicians. Physician-parent conversations took place from February 2010 to October 2013 at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital. Children of participants were a median of 10.1 years old; 56% had a solid tumor diagnosis, 38% had a brain tumor, and 6% had a hematologic malignancy. Eighty-one percent of participating parents were female, and 75% were white. Over half of the children (56%) were present during the entire physician-parent conversation. While physicians in 28/32 (88%) conversations included statements about the child’s prognosis, 8 conversations included only nonspecific statements as the sole prognostic statement. Almost all (90%) of the physicians included treatment options in the conversation. More than half of the physicians stated their own hopes (56%), but none of the physicians directly asked parents about their hopes. In the post-interview follow-up with study personnel, parents expressed expectations that were similar to what their physicians had stated about prognosis. However, most (88%) still expressed a hope that their child would be cured. Other hopes included quality of life (90%), minimal suffering (75%), and future research/better treatment of children in the future (25%). Most parents (72%) recognized that their hopes were incongruent from their expectations of the outcome for their child.

Image: PD

RELATED REPORTS

Radiofrequency thermal ablation superior to percutaneous ethanol injection in hepatocellular carcinoma [Classics Series]

Arterial chemoembolization improves survival in non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma [Classics Series]

Unsweetened coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of mortality

©2015 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

Tags: cancerchildhood cancer
Previous Post

Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation may increase risk of fractures

Next Post

Exposure to alcohol in movies linked to drinking among teens

RelatedReports

The ABCD2 score: Risk of stroke after Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) [Classics Series]
Hematology/Oncology Classics

Radiofrequency thermal ablation superior to percutaneous ethanol injection in hepatocellular carcinoma [Classics Series]

June 30, 2022
The ABCD2 score: Risk of stroke after Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) [Classics Series]
Hematology/Oncology Classics

Arterial chemoembolization improves survival in non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma [Classics Series]

June 29, 2022
European data showed coffee consumption associated with lower mortality
Cardiology

Unsweetened coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk of mortality

June 21, 2022
#VisualAbstract Ponatinib with FLAG-IDA is a feasible and active treatment strategy in patients with blast-phase chronic myeloid leukaemia
StudyGraphics

#VisualAbstract Ponatinib with FLAG-IDA is a feasible and active treatment strategy in patients with blast-phase chronic myeloid leukaemia

June 12, 2022
Next Post
Exposure to maternal depression linked to adolescent risk behaviors

Exposure to alcohol in movies linked to drinking among teens

Updated USPSTF guidelines favor treatment of mild gestational diabetes

USPSTF finds insufficient evidence for improved mortality from diabetes screening

Medicare beneficiaries have a lower rate of delayed melanoma surgeries

Medicare beneficiaries have a lower rate of delayed melanoma surgeries

License Our Award-Winning Physician-Written Medical News and Visual Abstracts

2 Minute Medicine is the leading authoritative medical news licensing service, and the only with reports written by practicing doctors.

LICENSE CONTENT

2MM+ Premium Access

No ads & unlimited access to all current reports, over 9000 searchable archived reports, visual abstracts, Weekly Rewinds, and the online edition of The Classics Series™ textbook.

Subscription Options
2 Minute Medicine

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Health system-based care associated with better treatment use and high rates of tobacco abstinence at 3 months post-discharge in hospitalized smokers
  • APOEε4 genotype may increase risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy following repetitive head impact
  • The RAPTURE trial: Radiofrequency ablation effective and safe in lung cancer [Classics Series]
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.