One of the most painful scenes to witness as healthcare professionals is the tearful and devastated reactions of parents who have just received their child’s cancer diagnosis. This scenario is only a snapshot of what families go through when battling childhood cancer.

Approximately 70 per cent of all childhood cancers in Singapore are managed at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH).¹ From March 2017 to December 2021, 321 children were diagnosed with childhood cancer at KKH.

Psychosocial needs of children with cancer and their parents

The negative impact of childhood cancer on the child and his or her family is widely known. However, little is known about the specific psychosocial needs of children with cancer and their parents or caregivers in Singapore, and how they cope with childhood cancer. This knowledge gap is the focus of the CCF Psychosocial and Supportive Care Programme for Paediatric Oncology (CCF PSCP) at KKH, which provides comprehensive care to children with cancer and their families through its clinical, research and education arms. This first-of-its-kind programme is supported by the Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF).

Clinical

As at May 2022, the CCF PSCP has supported 428 children and their families, facilitating timely and evidence-based neuro-psychosocial, rehabilitative and nutritional care.

Under the CCF PSCP, children diagnosed with cancer and their parents undergo routine neuro-psychosocial screening at various time-points from diagnosis, to treatment and post-treatment (Table 1). These routine screening protocols are based on international gold-standard practices in providing psychosocial care to children with cancer and their families^2,3.

Research

Research^4-8 conducted by the CCF PSCP has identified several psychosocial needs specific to children with cancer and their caregivers in Singapore. Some of the notable findings^4-6 included:

• About 30% of children with cancer and their main caregiving parent reported significant psychological distress, even after a year into the cancer journey.
• The relative risks of developing psychological distress were similar in children and parents.
• Top difficulties rated by children with cancer included fatigue, feelings of anxiousness/worries, boredom, school and academic difficulties, and family or social relationship problems.
• Parents of children with cancer reported ongoing psychological distress from coping with the child’s diagnosis, and the need for interpersonal connectedness and support.
• There were moderate-to-large correlations between children’s quality of life and parental distress. Specifically, poor psychosocial functioning in children with cancer was associated with poor psychosocial functioning in their parents, especially for parents with younger children.
• Parents supported by the CCF PSCP had significantly lower incidences of psychological distress (4%), compared to parents who had yet to be enrolled in the programme (31%).

Education

The CCF PSCP team facilitates ongoing learning and knowledge exchange activities with other experts through local and international conferences, to keep abreast of the latest developments in paediatric psychosocial-oncology.

Resources to support children with cancer and their caregivers are also made available for caregivers and healthcare professionals below:

​Resources for caregivers and healthcare professionals Visit the CCF PSCP webpage9 for educational resources on psychosocial wellbeing for children with cancers and their families. Read the newsletter on: Coping with caregiver’s and children’s emotions; Food safety guidelines. Subscribe to receive psychosocial and supportive care updates via the QR code or weblink below.
	​ Mailing list: https://www.form.gov.sg/62a0441d7e75740014b7ad6e
Online Public Forum ​	​Advancing Psychosocial Care in Childhood Cancer: Partnering Through Connections 4 November 2022 (Friday); 8.00am to 4.00pm (via Zoom)   Find out the latest local and international research and clinical development in psychosocial care for children and youths with cancer, and their caregivers.   This conference is open to healthcare providers, researchers, educators, counsellors and members of the public.   Free admission.   For more information, please contact the team at [email protected]. Click here to register.

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​Dr Beron Tan, Psychologist, Psychology Service, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital   Dr Beron Tan is a clinician and the research lead for the CCF Psychosocial and Supportive Care Programme (PSCP). Dr Tan developed the research protocols in establishing the CCF PSCP as an evidence-based psychosocial support programme.   Dr Tan is also a research theme lead (Psychosocial, Preventive, Supportive, and Palliative Care) and an executive member of the KKH Children’s Blood and Cancer Centre (CBCC).