Symptom Clusters in Hong Kong Chinese Children With Blood Cancer

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Pediatric blood cancer is the most common childhood malignancy. Despite its survival has been substantially improved, children still have to pay a high price for numerous distressing symptoms resulted from chemotherapy. Previous studies related to symptom experiences mainly focus on individual symptoms, rather than on multiple symptoms. Understanding these distressing symptoms may help healthcare professionals to develop appropriate and effective interventions with the aims of alleviating symptom severity and thus promoting the child's psychosocial well-being and quality of life.

Detailed Description
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A longitudinal study design will be conducted. A sample of 120 patients age 5-17years, diagnosed with blood cancer but not yet receive any chemotherapy and able to communicate with Cantonese and read Chinese will be recruited in the pediatric oncology ward of Hong Kong Children's Hospital.

Official Title
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Symptom Clusters in Hong Kong Chinese Children With Blood Cancer:: A Longitudinal Study

Conditions
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Child

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Questionnaire


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: aged 5 - 17 years old diagnosed with blood cancer but not yet receive any chemotherapy able to communicate with Cantonese and read Chinese Exclusion Criteria: who are scheduled to have concurrent cancer treatment with recurrent malignancy medical condition, or cognitive and learning problems in their medical records

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 5 Years
Maximum Age: 17 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Questionnaire<br>This study aims to examine the cancer patient's symptom clusters and their changes over chemotherapy among pediatric patients with blood cancer in Hong Kong | Other: Questionnaire<br>* Participants will complete a set of validated questionnaires (TRSC-C and demographic sheet) before chemotherapy. They also have to complete the same questionnaires (TRSC-C) again within 1 week after the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th , 5th and 6th courses of chemotherapy via telephone interview by our research assistants.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The therapy-related symptom checklist for children (TRSC-C) | For measuring the occurrence and severity of symptoms experienced by patients aged 5-17 when they undergo cancer treatment. | Before chemotherapy | 
| The therapy-related symptom checklist for children (TRSC-C) at 1-week | For measuring the occurrence and severity of symptoms experienced by patients aged 5-17 when they undergo cancer treatment. | At 1-week follow-up | 
| The therapy-related symptom checklist for children (TRSC-C) at 1-month | For measuring the occurrence and severity of symptoms experienced by patients aged 5-17 when they undergo cancer treatment. | At 1-month follow-up | 
| The therapy-related symptom checklist for children (TRSC-C) at 3-month | For measuring the occurrence and severity of symptoms experienced by patients aged 5-17 when they undergo cancer treatment. | At 3-month follow-up | 
| The therapy-related symptom checklist for children (TRSC-C) at 6-month | For measuring the occurrence and severity of symptoms experienced by patients aged 5-17 when they undergo cancer treatment. | At 6-month follow-up | 
| Demographic sheet | collect the background information of our subjects, including their age, gender, educational attainment, parents' marital status and religious belief | At baseline | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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blood cancer, chemotherapy