Children's Oncology Group's 2023 blueprint for research: Behavioral science

Authors

Leanne Embry, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Kristin Bingen, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Heather M. Conklin, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Steven Hardy, Division of Oncology, Children's National Hospital and Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Lisa M. Jacola, Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
Jordan Gilleland Marchak, Emory University School of Medicine and Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Iris Paltin, Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Wendy Pelletier, Department of Oncology, Division of Psychosocial Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Katie A. Devine, Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

7-10-2023

Journal

Pediatric blood & cancer

DOI

10.1002/pbc.30557

Keywords

behavioral science; late effects; pediatric cancer; psychosocial; quality of life; supportive care

Abstract

As survival rates for childhood cancer have improved, there has been increasing focus on identifying and addressing adverse impacts of cancer and its treatment on children and their families during treatment and into survivorship. The Behavioral Science Committee (BSC) of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), comprised of psychologists, neuropsychologists, social workers, nurses, physicians, and clinical research associates, aims to improve the lives of children with cancer and their families through research and dissemination of empirically supported knowledge. Key achievements of the BSC include enhanced interprofessional collaboration through integration of liaisons into other key committees within COG, successful measurement of critical neurocognitive outcomes through standardized neurocognitive assessment strategies, contributions to evidence-based guidelines, and optimization of patient-reported outcome measurement. The collection of neurocognitive and behavioral data continues to be an essential function of the BSC, in the context of therapeutic trials that are modifying treatments to maximize event-free survival, minimize adverse outcomes, and optimize quality of life. In addition, through hypothesis-driven research and multidisciplinary collaborations, the BSC will also begin to prioritize initiatives to expand the systematic collection of predictive factors (e.g., social determinants of health) and psychosocial outcomes, with overarching goals of addressing health inequities in cancer care and outcomes, and promoting evidence-based interventions to improve outcomes for all children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer.

APA Citation

Embry, Leanne; Bingen, Kristin; Conklin, Heather M.; Hardy, Steven; Jacola, Lisa M.; Marchak, Jordan Gilleland; Paltin, Iris; Pelletier, Wendy; and Devine, Katie A., "Children's Oncology Group's 2023 blueprint for research: Behavioral science" (2023). GW Authored Works. Paper 3096.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/3096

Department

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences