Abstract
Physical symptoms occur frequently in children with cancer and are caused by the disease, treatment regimens, or medical procedures. Any symptom can create significant toxicity, resulting in complications that may compromise therapy, negatively influence quality of life, and even threaten chances for long-term survival. Each physical symptom requires careful assessment and consideration of symptom interaction and the synergistic effect of multiple symptoms. It is essential for childhood cancer providers to understand cancer treatment symptoms, their interactions, and changes over time. These critical aspects should be incorporated into every assessment throughout the child’s cancer treatment. Realization that children with cancer may continue to experience physical impacts well beyond the completion of treatment is important. After a thorough assessment, appropriate interventions should be implemented to reduce distress, minimize further complications, and improve quality of life throughout a child’s cancer treatment. Multidisciplinary healthcare providers caring for children with cancer must become experts in symptom assessment and management.
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Rodgers, C., Withycombe, J., Hockenberry, M. (2016). Physical Impact of Pediatric Cancer and Its Treatment. 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_3
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