TY - JOUR ID - TI - Psychosocial Impact of Childhood Cancer on Patients and their Families AU - Fawaz S. Yousif AU - Hasanein H. Ghali AU - Safa A. Faraj AU - Mazin F. Al-Jadiry AU - Salma A. Al-Hadad PY - 2021 VL - 17 IS - 2 SP - 79 EP - 83 JO - Al-Kindy College Medical Journal مجلة كلية الطب الكندي SN - 18109543 25214365 AB - Background: The presence of cancer has a deep psychological impact on the quality of life of patients, on family and social relationships.Aims: To assess the impact of childhood cancer on patients and their families.Subjects and methods: A Prospective questionnaire-based study, for 151 patients, had malignancy identified by tumor registry of Children Welfare Teaching Hospital conducted in the period from January till December 2015. The information were taken from the parent(s) in the presence of the patient who sometimes answered some questions during the interview.Results: There was an interview with 151 families of children with malignant diseases in the outpatient clinic. Sixty-two (41%) patients have leukemia while 89 (59%) have solid tumors. Boys (64.2%) were more than girls (35.8). Regarding patients at time of interview, the mean age was 10.2 years, while at diagnosis it was 7.1 years. The majority of the parents accepted the diagnosis (89.4%), the rest of the parents (10.6%) were skeptical and tried to re-evaluate the condition elsewhere. More than one-half of the parents started to have quick temper (54%) after diagnosis. Most of them had sleep difficulties (83.2%) after diagnosis. Neglection of other siblings in the family was reported in more than one-half of the interviewed families (52.1%). Most of the parents lost their emotional control (69.2%) with the surrounding people after knowing the diagnosis. After an initial period of treatment, there was a decrease in the social activity of the families in 42% of cases. There was a high concern of the parents about the patient’s future marriage (69%), conception (62%), and career (52%).Conclusions: The establishment of a multidisciplinary cancer care team including social workers, teachers, psychologists, and others to support the child and family is seems to be mandatory during the whole period of treatment and thereafter.

ER -