Skip to main content

Pediatric Oncology: Psychosocial Care in Context

  • Chapter

Abstract

Cancer in children has always been inexorably linked to feelings of unfathomable unfairness, urgent pleas for cures, and the psychological challenges for patients and their families. While the incidence of childhood cancer represents only about 2 % of all cancers, the impact of its treatment extends beyond the child and includes the family and the community. The worldwide incidence of childhood cancer has been estimated to be about 200,000 cases annually. Approximately 80 % of children are cured in developed countries, but that cure rate is inversed in resource-poor countries where often less than 20 % of children are cured. The incidence of cancer also appears to be slowly increasing (Rodriguez-Galindo et al. 2013; Spector et al. 2013; Pritchard-Jones et al. 2013).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bleyer A (2005) The adolescent and young adult gap in cancer care and outcome. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 35(5):182–217

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Camus A (1991), The plague. (Trans: Buss R, 2001). First Vintage International Edition. Random House, Inc., NY, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber S, Diamond LK (1948) Temporary remissions in acute leukemia in children produced by folic acid antagonist, 4-aminopteroyl-glutamic acid. N Engl J Med 238(23):787–793

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • King ML Jr. (1966) Medical Committee for Human Rights Convention; Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Koocher GP, O’Malley JJ (1981) Damocles syndrome: psychosocial consequences of surviving childhood cancer. McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A, Soares H, Wells R, Clarke M, Hozo I, Bleyer A, Reaman G, Chalmers I, Djulbegovic B, Children’s Oncology G (2005) Are experimental treatments for cancer in children superior to established treatments? Observational study of randomised controlled trials by the Children’s Oncology Group. BMJ 331(7528):1295

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meadows AT (2003) Pediatric cancer survivors: past history and future challenges. Curr Probl Cancer 27(3):112–126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Cancer Institute (1971) The National Cancer Act of 1971. http://legislative.cancer.gov/history/phsa/1971

  • Oeffinger KC, Mertens AC, Sklar CA, Kawashima T, Hudson MM, Meadows AT, Friedman DL, Marina N, Hobbie W, Kadan-Lottick NS, Schwartz CL, Leisenring W, Robison LL, Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (2006) Chronic health conditions in adult survivors of childhood cancer. N Engl J Med 355(15):1572–1582

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Osler W (1910) Aequanimitas, 2nd edn. P. Blakiston’s Son & Co, Philadelphia, pp 1–12. http://www.medicalarchives.jhmi.edu/osler/aequessay.htm

  • Pritchard-Jones K, Pieters R, Reaman GH, Hjorth L, Downie P, Calaminus G, Naafs-Wilstra MC, Steliarova-Foucher E (2013) Sustaining innovation and improvement in the treatment of childhood cancer: lessons from high-income countries. Lancet Oncol 14(3):e95–e103

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reichert J, Bognar S, Greenberg LW, Godoy M, Durgans KY (2011) New educational modules offer tough case studies around humanistic issues. J Cancer Educ 26(2):386–387

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Galindo C, Friedrich P, Morrissey L, Frazier L (2013) Global challenges in pediatric oncology. Curr Opin Pediatr 25(1):3–15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Spector LG, Ross JA, Olshan AF, C.O.G.Epidemiology Committee (2013) Children’s Oncology Group’s 2013 blueprint for research: epidemiology. Pediatr Blood Cancer 60(6):1059–1062

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Arceci, R.J. (2016). Pediatric Oncology: Psychosocial Care in Context. In: Abrams, A., Muriel, A., Wiener, L. (eds) Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology: Textbook for Multidisciplinary Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21374-3_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21374-3_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21373-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-21374-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics