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Purpose: We aimed to establish content validity and assess the psychometric properties of the FACE-Q Craniofacial Module, a patient-reported outcome measure, for use in pediatric and adolescent patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: To establish content validity (Part 1), between June 2017 and August 2019, cognitive interviews were conducted with survivors of pediatric HNC (n = 15), and input was obtained from clinical experts (n = 21). To examine item and scale performance (Part 2), Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT) analysis was performed using data from two international studies (n = 121). Results: Part 1: Qualitative data from 15 survivors and input from 21 experts provided evidence to support the use of the FACE-Q Craniofacial Module in pediatric HNC. Part 2: The field-test study sample included 121 survivors of pediatric HNC. RMT analysis provided evidence of reliability and validity for 10 FACE-Q scales. Data for each scale fit the RMT model. Scale reliability was high, with Person Separation Index and Cronbach's alpha values ≥0.82 for 9 scales. Mean scores on the Appearance, Psychological, and Social scales were higher for those who liked aspects of their face more. For participants with (vs. without) a facial difference, mean scores were lower for the Face, Jaws, Psychological, and Social scales. Conclusion: The FACE-Q Craniofacial Module evidenced reliability and validity for HNC survivors aged 8–29 years and can be used in research and clinical care to measure quality of life of pediatric survivors with HNC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examined the patient-, cancer-, and treatment-related factors related to cancer worry in adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of cancer in childhood in the U.S. through the use of the Cancer Worry Scale (CWS).

Although a cancer diagnosis during the adolescent and young adult (AYA) years is a traumatic event, and psychiatric disorders generally manifest during the AYA period, the impact of a cancer diagnosis on long-term mental health outcomes in this population is not well characterized. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine if survivors of AYA cancers are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders. A systematic literature search of five databases, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, EMBASE, and PsycINFO, was conducted from their inception to November 2018. The outcome measures were psychiatric disorders as per the Diagnostic Statistical Manual criteria, or psychiatric medication use. Study eligibility, appraisal, and data abstraction were independently conducted by two reviewers. Of 7934 total studies, four met eligibility criteria for the systematic review, three of which were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to cancer-free controls, survivors were at an elevated risk of mood disorders (odds ratio [OR] 1.36; 95% CI 1.19–1.55) and anxiety disorders (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.05–1.28), but not substance-related disorders, (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.63–1.22). The most commonly identified risk factors were the female sex and older age at diagnosis. We found higher odds of anxiety and mood disorders in AYA-onset cancer survivors. However, few AYA-specific studies currently exist that analyze psychiatric disorders using consistent and standardized methods. Additional studies confirming these findings are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a meeting to produce international partnerships for the promotion of the Adolescent and Young Adults (AYA) activities sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research American Health Association that was held in Melbourne, Australia on December 7-8, 2015.

The article focuses on the socioeconomic and health system factors of the population on childhood cancer medical care and screening including enrollment in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) and individual-level factors from U.S. Area Health Resource File was reported.