Quality of life and psychological status of thoracic and abdominal pediatric cancer survivors

Abstract

Relevance. The integrated approach in the treatment of malignant tumors in the chest or abdomen combined with achievements of surgery, chemotherapy and accompanying therapy significantly increased survival rate and recovery in paediatric patients and then specialists faced the new challenge - to improve indicators of the quality of life (QOL) in cured patients. The aim. To study indicators of the QOL and psychological characteristics of personality development in patients cured in childhood of tumors in the chest or abdomen. Materials and methods. The study included 184 patient aged between 8 and 18 years, cured of tumors in the chest or abdomen in RAMS N.N.Blokhin RCRC Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Research Institute of Ministry of Health of Russia from 1979 to 2015. The follow-up period was 3-25 years after the end of the complex antitumor treatment. The QOL analysis was held in 92 (50%) of patients. The QOL analysis was performed according to the examining children’s questioning in the PedsQL questionary. In addition, we assessed the psychological state and social adaptation measures in patients cured of tumors in the chest or abdomen. Results. The analysis demonstrated the reduction of the indicators of the QOL and psychosocial adaptation in patients cured of tumors in the chest or abdomen. Most often the reduction of adaptation occurred in adolescents (78%). We marked the increase in the frequency of medical care encounters of non-oncological profile, the decrease in cognitive function, hypererethism, indecisiveness and low self-confidence. Conclusions. We showed guidelines for the individual rehabilitation of patients cured of tumors in the chest or abdomen: sanatorium resort therapy, psychocorrective work, psychological rehabilitation for family of the patient.