Long-term effects of oncologic treatment in survivors of childhood cancer in the central nervous system

• Grant number: 19/16343-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2019
• End date: January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Fundamentals and Assessments in Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Sonia Regina Pasian
• Grantee: Ana Beatriz da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With the advance of diagnosis and therapy, the survival of cancer patients has increased. However, cancer treatments cause late effects in the short, medium or long term, and may affect several spheres of the individual. Based on several studies, the cancer of the central nervous system (CNS) had to be one of the most prevalent in children and its treatment is the most aggressive, leaving sequelae in survivors, including cognitive. Thus, scientific investigations to identify signs of these processes and that may serve as indicators to prevent or mitigate the late effects of cancer treatment in pediatric patients are necessary, as in this project. The objective of the study is to examine possible late effects of cancer treatment on childhood cancer survivors in the CNS, assessing adaptive, cognitive and affective functioning characteristics. It is intended to evaluate two groups of children from seven to 12 years old, of both sexes: a clinical group (G1, n = 20, CNS cancer survivors of a public university Pediatric Oncology Service outpatient clinic) and a group of comparison (G2, n = 20, balanced in terms of age, sex and education based on the characteristics identified in the clinical group). Study participants will also be parents and guardians of children, both clinical and comparative, who will respond to the interview about the child's development and the Difficulties and Abilities Questionnaire (SDQ). Children will be individually assessed by the Raven Color Progressive Matrix Test, the Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale (WASI) and the Pfister Color Pyramid Test, applied and systematized according to their technical manuals. Descriptive and interpretative analyses will be performed about the findings, as well as the comparison between the two groups studied, focusing on indicators of the different psychological instruments. (AU)