Concurrent School Attendance And Cancer Therapy: The Experiences of 6-12 Year Old Pediatric Oncology Patients

Many children with cancer cannot participate regularly in school due to frequent hospitalizations for treatment or treatment related effects such as pain, nausea, and fatigue. Prior studies have shown that children with cancer desire to attend school while receiving therapy despite these challenges, and that they report psychological and psychosocial difficulties if unable to attend. While school attendance has been found to correlate with Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), self-efficacy beliefs, and self-esteem, little is known about how children with cancer experience school attendance while receiving active cancer therapy. The purpose of this study will be to explore how 6-12 year old children with cancer perceive school attendance pre and post diagnosis during active therapy as measured at one-time point, 6 months (± 2months) into active therapy.

Sex

All

Minimum age

6 Years

Maximum age

12 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Participant is 6-12 years of age at the time of diagnosis.
* Participant has a primary diagnosis of leukemia/lymphoma or solid tumor.
* Participant has been on therapy for six months (plus or minus 2 months) at the time of enrollment on this protocol.
* Participant is able to read and speak English.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Participant has not received any type of schooling services either in the home, community, or hospital setting since diagnosis.
* Participant did not receive any type of schooling services prior to diagnosis.