Development of the SPARK family member web pages to improve symptom management for pediatric patients receiving cancer treatments

The predictive trifecta? Fatigue, pain, and anxiety severity forecast the suffering profile of children with cancer

BACKGROUND

Fatigue, pain, and anxiety, symptoms commonly experienced by children with cancer, may predict pediatric symptom suffering profile membership that is amenable to treatment.

METHODS

Three latent profiles (Low, Medium, and High symptom suffering) from 436 pediatric patients undergoing cancer care were assessed for association with three single-item symptoms and socio-demographic variables.

RESULTS

Pediatric-PRO-CTCAE fatigue, pain, and anxiety severity scores at baseline were highly and significantly associated with the Medium and High Suffering profiles comprised of PROMIS pediatric symptom and function measures. The likelihood of membership in the Medium Suffering group was 11.37 times higher for patients who experienced fatigue severity than those with did not, while experience of pain severity increased the likelihood of the child's membership in the Medium Suffering profile by 2.59 times and anxiety by 3.67 times. The severity of fatigue increased the likelihood of presence in the High Suffering group by 2.99 times while pain severity increased the likelihood of the child's membership in the High Suffering profile by 6.36 times and anxiety by 16.75 times. Controlling for experience of symptom severity, older patients were more likely to be in the Higher or Medium Suffering profile than in the Low Suffering profile; no other socio-demographic or clinical variables had a significant effect on the latent profile classification.

CONCLUSION

Clinician knowledge of the strong association between fatigue, pain, and anxiety severity and suffering profiles may help focus supportive care to improve the cancer experience for children most at risk from time of diagnosis through treatment.