Pain and Sleep Disturbances in Children Living Beyond Cancer: A Case-Control Study

Children living beyond cancer (CBC) represent a unique and growing population of young people in need of long-term clinical support. Studies suggest that 11-44% of CBC experience chronic pain, negatively impacting a wide range of child biopsychosocial outcomes and creating high financial burden for their families and society. Often comorbid with pain, one of the most chronic and disturbing side effects reported by CBC are sleep disturbances, and in particular, difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep. Indeed, \>50% of CBC report some form of sleep disturbance even 9 to 15 years after the cancer diagnosis. Much attention has been paid to sleep and pain as independent constructs within pediatric oncology, yet Belgian data is lacking. Additionally, little is known about how these domains interact with one another and subsequent indications for prevention and intervention. Although evidence shows an interrelationship between pain and sleep in adult and pediatric populations, this interrelationship is understudied in childhood cancer patients and CBC. (Chronic) pain may serve as a modifiable target for interventions to improve sleep quality and vice versa, and understanding this relationship is crucial for providing comprehensive care to CBC. Therefore, this cross-sectional case-control study aims to explore the differences in pain and sleep disturbances in CBC compared to healthy age- and sex-matched healthy controls, as well as the interrelationship between both outcomes.

Sex

All

Minimum age

6 Years

Maximum age

12 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* CBC: 1) current age 6-12yo; 2) history of any cancer diagnosis; 3) ≤ 5y post- treatment completion; 4) ≥ 3 months since last cancer treatment (since pain and insomnia during treatment can be directly related to therapy and recover spontaneously); 5) fluent Dutch speaker and reader (age-dependent)
* Healthy controls (age- and sex-matched): 1) current age 6-12yo; 2) no history of cancer ; 3) fluent Dutch/French/English speaker and reader (age-dependent)
* Parents: 1) fluent Dutch/French/English speaker and reader

Exclusion Criteria:

* CBC: 1) receiving palliative therapy; 2) psychiatric disorder; 3) severe intellectual disability
* Healthy controls: 1) history of cancer; 2) psychiatric disorder; 3) severe intellectual disability