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Psychooncology. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2008 April 8.
Published in final edited form as: Psychooncology. 2006 October ; 15(10): 898­910.

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PERSISTENT PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN LONG-TERM SURVIVORS OF PEDIATRIC SARCOMA: THE EXPERIENCE AT A SINGLE INSTITUTION
LORI WIENERa,*, HAVEN BATTLESa, DONNA BERNSTEINa, LAUREN LONGa, JOANNE DERDAKa, CRYSTAL L. MACKALLa, and PATRICK J. MANSKYb aPediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, USA bNational Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, USA

Abstract
Background--The long-term psychological impact of pediatric sarcoma is largely unknown. As part of a cross-sectional study examining the late effects of pediatric sarcoma therapy, we examined whether psychological distress or posttraumatic stress symptoms are present in an adult cohort of pediatric sarcoma survivors. Method--Thirty-four patients participated in the study, an average of 17 years after their treatment ended, each completing the SCID module for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Impact of Events Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic variables and psychosocial issues. Results--Significant persistent psychological distress characterized this cohort of patients. Seventy-seven percent scored in the clinical range on the BSI. Twelve percent met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Current psychological distress was associated with intrusive thoughts and avoidant behaviors, male gender, employment, difficulty readjusting to work/school after treatment, and enduring worries about health. No differences were found based on age, presence of metastatic disease or time since diagnosis. Conclusions--This is the first report of a clinical evaluation of psychological distress in a cohort of pediatric sarcoma survivors