Helping Kids with Cancer Speak for the Supportive Care They Need

02 February, 2025

The simple act of asking young patients about their symptoms regularly during cancer treatment can help them get more supportive care and reduce distressing side effects, according to the results of two new clinical trials.

In both studies, patients aged 8–18 being treated for cancer filled out brief surveys about their symptoms, with the responses sent directly to their care teams. The groups who completed the surveys reported experiencing fewer cancer-related symptoms—such as fatigue, changes in appetite, and problems like feeling sad or scared—than those who did not complete the surveys.

Results from the two trials, which were funded in part by NCI, were published November 13 in JAMA and JAMA Pediatrics.

Studies testing the use of patient-reported outcome (PRO) surveys in adults have shown that they can give a far more accurate picture of how someone is feeling during cancer treatment than a report from an observer, such as a family member or health care provider.

But it’s been unclear whether young patients could provide feedback on their symptoms during the stress of cancer treatment, explained Lillian Sung, M.D., Ph.D., of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, who co-led the new studies.

“One of our big questions has been: Can we do this in children?” said Dr. Sung. “The fact that the answer is ‘yes’ is very exciting.”

The larger of the two trials also defined ahead of time for care providers what treatments kids should get if they reported certain symptoms. That’s important, said Lori Wiener, Ph.D., of NCI’s Pediatric Oncology Branch, who was not involved with the trials, because for PROs to make a difference, pathways must exist to help busy nurses and doctors respond to the needs their young patients identify, she added.

“That’s why this study is so exciting—because they married the [symptom] screening with guidance for providers on how to respond to this information, so that it could truly have an impact in an immediate and very systematic way,” Dr. Wiener said.

The findings also highlight an all-too-common problem in oncology, Dr. Sung said.

“I worry that children and parents think that they have to suffer to be cured,” she said. “But we have interventions to prevent and alleviate suffering, and I think their use needs to become an expectation.”

Helping Kids with Cancer Speak for the Supportive Care They Need was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.”