Tracking Health Related Quality of Life From Diagnosis to Follow‐Up Among Australian Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is one of the most treatable forms of paediatric cancer; however, there is a substantial burden of treatment-related toxicities (TRTs). In addition, the long-term changes in children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) due to toxic treatments are not well understood. AIMS: To describe parent-reported HRQoL of children with ALL over a 5-year period from diagnosis and identify risk factors associated with parent reporting of low HRQoL in children. METHODS: Through a national longitudinal prospective study, we invited parents of children diagnosed with ALL within the last 100 days to report the HRQoL impacts on their child over time using the PedsQL Cancer Module. Mixed models were used to identify predictors of HRQoL. RESULTS: In total, 190 parents participated at one or more time points (representing children with a mean age of 6.2 years). Parents reported clinically meaningful reductions in their child's HRQoL throughout ALL treatment: Within the first 6 months of diagnosis, 59.2% of parents reported that their child had reduced HRQoL and 47.6% did at 54 months. Procedural anxiety and cognitive dysfunction were key contributors to HRQoL through and beyond treatment. Age at diagnosis, sex and rurality were associated with HRQoL. CONCLUSION: Almost half of parents reported that their children experienced poor HRQoL during and after treatment. Procedural anxiety and cognitive dysfunction were key contributors to HRQoL that did not reduce with time, demonstrating the need for comprehensive assessment of children's HRQoL to support access to psychosocial supportive care needs and improve overall HRQoL into survivorship years.
Source: Pediatric Blood & Cancer
Authors: Clare Ghows, Clarissa E. Schilstra, Karen McCleary, Nancy E. Briggs, Rishi S. Kotecha, Richard De Abreu Lourenco, Shanti Ramachandran, Ruelleyn Cockcroft, Rachel Conyers, Siobhan Cross, Luciano Dalla‐Pozza, Peter Downie, Tamas Revesz, Michael Osborn, Frank Alvaro, Claire E. Wakefield, Glenn M. Marshall, Toby Trahair, Marion K. Mateos, Joanna E. Fardell
Institutions: UNSW Sydney, Sydney Children's Hospital, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, The Kids Research Institute Australia, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth Children's Hospital, University of Technology Sydney, Starship Children's Health, Royal Children's Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Christchurch Hospital, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Monash Children’s Hospital, Women's and Children's Hospital, The University of Adelaide, John Hunter Children's Hospital, Stanford Health Care, Stanford Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,640
OpenAlex ID: W7171243370