An intervention for Fear of Progression in Childhood Cancer Patients and their Parents: Results of a Pilot Randomized Trial
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Background In pediatric oncology, Fear of Progression (FoP) is a main psychosocial burden for patients and parents. We examined feasibility and efficacy of a family intervention. Methods 29 families with a cancer-ill child in acute treatment or follow-up care participated in a randomized-controlled trial, getting a tailored intervention and completing questionnaires (FoP and secondary outcomes) at different time points. We report participation and retention rates, between-group comparisons (Mann-Whitney- U -test) and within-group comparisons (Friedman and Wilcoxon test). Results Data shows low participation (23%) and acceptable retention (71%) with large differences between treatment settings and only few participating children. For parent´s FoP significant differences between study conditions ( W = 65.5, p = .023) and in longitudinal comparisons in both treatment settings were observed. Conclusion Data demonstrates feasibility but highlights challenges. The intervention can reduce parental FoP and seems promising for children in different treatment settings. Implication: This represents an initial approach to treat elevated FoP in pediatrics.
