2004 OCT 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to study results from Texas A&M University, pain and emotional distress should be treated concomitantly to enhance pediatric cancer patients' long-term health-related quality of life.
'The objective of this prospective study was to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between pain and emotional distress in children and adolescents with cancer as measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Emotional Functioning and Pain Scales,' wrote J.W. Varni and coauthors.
'The PedsQL 1.0 Generic Core Scales are multidimensional scales developed as the generic core measure to be integrated with the PedsQC Disease-Specific Modules.'
'The PedsQL 1.0 Cancer Module was designed to measure pediatric cancer-specific health-related quality of life. The PeclsQL Generic Core Scales, Emotional Functioning Scale and Cancer Module Pain Scale, were administered to 69 children and 59 adolescents and their parents at Time 1 and Time 2, which was 6 months on average after Time 1,' the researchers reported.
Varni and colleagues continued, 'Prospective hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported a longitudinal predictive model with Time 1 pain predicting Time 2 pain and Time 1 emotional distress predicting Time 2 emotional distress, respectively.
'Time 1 emotional distress did not predict Time 2 pain, and Time 1 pain did not predict Time 2 emotional distress. The results demonstrate that pediatric cancer pain and emotional distress, although associated cross-sectionally, are differentially predictive in prospective longitudinal analyses.'
'These results suggest that both pain and emotional distress should be targeted for treatment interventions concurrently to enhance long-term health-related quality of life of the pediatric patient with cancer,' the authors concluded.
Varni and colleagues published their study in Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (The PedsQL in pediatric cancer pain: A prospective longitudinal analysis of pain and emotional distress. J Develop Behav Pediat, 2004;25(4):239-246).
For additional information, contact J.W. Varni, Texas A&M University, College Architecture, Department Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning, 3137 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
The publisher's contact information for the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics is: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 530 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-3621, USA.
The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Health Related Quality Of Life, Cancer, Pain, Emotional Distress, Pediatrics, Children, Pedsql, Pain Medicine, Disease Associations and Oncology.
This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004, Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.
