The effects of childhood cancer and its treatment on two objective measures of psychological functioning

The incidence, severity, and potential causative and contributory factors o f significant psychological distress in pediatric cancer patients and survi vors were investigated. The parents of 88 childhood cancer patients (n = 24 ) and survivors (n = 64) completed 2 independent measures of psychological functioning on their child. Patients were all between the ages of 6 and 16 years old and were accrued from a large variety of diagnostic and treatment conditions. In analyzing the determinants of psychological functioning, th e following variables were investigated: dosage of cranial irradiation (CRT ), intrathecal methotrexate, and systemic methotrexate; age; sex; socioecon omic status; age at diagnosis; months since both first and last treatment; being on or off treatment; intelligence; and ifa central nervous system can cer had occurred. The overall incidence of psychological adjustment disturb ances was relatively low (approximately 10% to 20%) and similar to that rep orted in the general population. The most common parent-reported problems w ere related to somatic concerns, anxiety symptoms, and cognitive disabiliti es. Being female, age at diagnosis, CRT, and nonverbal intelligence deficit s were predictive of parent-reported cognitive impairment and socialization difficulties. No other consistent relation between the cancer and demograp hic variables and psychological dysfunction was noted.