Lived experiences with unmet supportive care needs in pediatric cancer: Perspective of Chinese children and their parents.
Lei Cheng, Ling Yu, Haiying Huang and 1 others
PMID 36285075WHAT IT FOUND
Children with cancer felt ignored when clinicians spoke only to parents, while parents struggled to explain treatments.
Families described needs that grew across the disease trajectory, from pain and fatigue to schoolwork and future fears, requiring support beyond clinical treatment.
Key findings
01Child participants reported frustration that doctors and nurses communicated exclusively with parents, leaving them feeling ignored and unable to ask questions about their own care.
02Parents described unmet needs that expanded over time, shifting from immediate symptom management to complex concerns about emotional support, sibling care, and transition to normal life.
03Children expressed a need to be seen as whole persons with social and educational concerns, not just as bodies with abnormal lab results.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (8 children, 24 parents) and heterogeneous, limiting generalizability to specific cancer types. Children were excluded if physicians judged them mentally or verbally incapable, potentially omitting the most distressed or cognitively impaired patients. The study did not include long-term survivors or use a longitudinal design, so it captures a snapshot rather than the full trajectory of needs. Participants were not recruited as dyads, so the interaction between child and parent perspectives was not directly observed.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the China National Natural Science Foundation, China Medical Board, Taikang Yicai Public Welfare Foundation, and Fudan Nursing Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these themes as evidence that specific interventions improve outcomes. This study describes the lived experience of unmet needs, not the efficacy of any treatment to address them.