Parental Hope for Children With Advanced Cancer

Author:

Kamihara Junne1,Nyborn Justin A.1,Olcese Maura E.2,Nickerson Taylor13,Mack Jennifer W.1

Affiliation:

1. The Department of Pediatric Oncology and the Center for Population Sciences, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts;

2. Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; and

3. Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous work suggests that parents of children with cancer can remain hopeful despite receiving prognostic information, but we know little about what hope means to such parents, or the extent to which parents can feel hopeful even while facing the child’s impending death. METHODS: We audiotaped conversations between clinicians and parents of 32 children with relapsed or refractory cancer, and then interviewed parents about their hopes and expectations for their child. RESULTS: Parent statements about prognosis in interviews mirrored those made by clinicians during discussions about the child’s diagnosis with refractory or relapsed cancer. Clinicians used language referring to hope during these conversations but did not ask parents directly about their hopes. Parents expressed a range of hopes for their children, from hopes related to cure or treatment response, to quality of life, normalcy, and love and relationships for the child. For most parents, expectations about prognosis were not aligned with their hopes for the child; for example, many parents hoped for a cure and also reported that they did not believe cure was possible. Many parents were able to acknowledge this incongruence. CONCLUSIONS: Parents accurately conveyed the reality of their child’s serious condition in the setting of advanced cancer, and yet maintained hope. Hopes were not limited to hope for cure/treatment response. Clinicians should be encouraged to engage in direct conversations about hope with parents as a means to elicit realistic hopes that can help to focus the most meaningful plans for the child and family.

Publisher

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Subject

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health

Reference25 articles.

1. The breadth of hopes.;Feudtner;N Engl J Med,2009

2. American oncology and the discourse on hope.;Delvecchio Good;Cult Med Psychiatry,1990

3. Oncology and hope.;Kodish;J Clin Oncol,1995

4. Necessary collusion: prognostic communication with advanced cancer patients.;Helft;J Clin Oncol,2005

5. Hope and deception.;Ruddick;Bioethics,1999

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3