2024, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part B

Background: Cancer in patients below 19 years of age is relatively uncommon, but its impact on affected children and their families is significant. Understanding the quality of life (QoL) in childhood cancer survivors is essential for comprehending the long-term effects of the disease and its treatment. This study aims to assess the QoL of children and adolescents who have survived cancer for more than three years, treated at Basra Maternity and Children Hospital and Basra Specialty Hospital for Children. Additionally, it seeks to understand parental assessments of their children's QoL and evaluate the degree of agreement between survivors and their parents.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted between October 2011 and November 2012. Participants included 31 childhood cancer survivors (24 males, 7 females) aged 8-18 years, who had completed cancer treatment and survived at least three years’ post-diagnosis. The control group consisted of 32 healthy children (25 males, 7 females) matched by age and sex. Data were collected using the Arabic version of the KINDL questionnaire, answered by both children and one of their parents.

Results: The study found no significant differences (p-value > 0.05) in most QoL subscales between survivors and their controls based on self-assessment reports. Similarly, parental reports showed no significant differences (p-value > 0.05) in most QoL subscales between the two groups. However, children scored lower than their parents in the Physical Well-being subscale (p-value = 0.002). Adolescents showed no significant differences from their parents' reports. Overall, survivors reported no significant differences (p-value > 0.05) in all QoL subscales except for self-esteem, where survivors had poorer scores than their parents (p-value = 0.036).

Conclusion: The study concludes that the QoL of children and adolescents surviving cancer is similar to that of their peers. Parents generally report a good QoL for their children surviving cancer, comparable to parents of healthy children. There is a high degree of agreement between survivors and their parents in perceiving QoL.