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Neurocognitive Dysfunction and Psychosocial Issues

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Advanced Practice in Endocrinology Nursing

Abstract

Childhood cancer is a life-threatening disease and has a major impact on patient and family. Diagnosis is followed by intense treatment putting patients at high risk for late adverse outcomes, including neurocognitive deficits and psychosocial problems, such as psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), fatigue, low educational achievement, and unemployment. Psychosocial health in childhood cancer survivors is often interrelated; psychological distress expressed as low mood, depression, and anxiety are associated with insufficient sleep, poor sleep quality and fatigue, as well as with lack of employment and low income. Survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumors and those who received cranial radiation are at particular high risk for any of these problems, but also women and children who were diagnosed at a younger age. Preventive measures during cancer treatment are important. But also continued support and if necessary treatment during the whole cancer trajectory and into long-term follow-up of adult is necessary to reduce problems and improve quality of survivorship.

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Abbreviations

ADHA:

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

ALL:

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

CCSS:

Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

CNS:

Central nervous system

CRP:

Cognitive Remediation Program

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

ENT:

Ear, nose, throat

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PTSD:

Post-traumatic stress disorder

PTSS:

Post-traumatic stress symptoms

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Key Reading

  1. Bruce M. A systematic and conceptual review of posttraumatic stress in childhood cancer survivors and their parents. Clin Psychol Rev. 2006;26(3):233–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lown EA, et al. Psychosocial follow-up in survivorship as a standard of care in pediatric oncology. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2015;62(Suppl 5):S531–601.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Lund LW, et al. A systematic review of studies on psychosocial late effects of childhood cancer: structures of society and methodological pitfalls may challenge the conclusions. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2011;56(4):532–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Nathan PC, Patel SK, Dilley K, et al. Guidelines for identification of, advocacy for, and intervention in neurocognitive problems in survivors of childhood cancer. Arch Pediatric Adolesc Med. 2007;161(8):798–806.

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  5. Zeltzer LK, Recklitis C, Buchbinder D, et al. Psychological status in childhood cancer survivors: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(14):2396–404.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, University of Lucerne, Luzern, Switzerland

    Katharina Roser & Gisela Michel

  2. Division of Hematology/Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland

    Katrin Scheinemann

  3. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Katrin Scheinemann

Authors
  1. Katharina Roser
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  2. Gisela Michel
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  3. Katrin Scheinemann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gisela Michel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, City, University of London, London, UK

    Sofia Llahana

  2. Department of Oncology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden

    Cecilia Follin

  3. Northwest Pituitary Center Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA

    Christine Yedinak

  4. Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Ashley Grossman

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Roser, K., Michel, G., Scheinemann, K. (2019). Neurocognitive Dysfunction and Psychosocial Issues. In: Llahana, S., Follin, C., Yedinak, C., Grossman, A. (eds) Advanced Practice in Endocrinology Nursing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99817-6_60

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99817-6_60

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-99815-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-99817-6

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