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Children
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Integrative Medicine Approaches in Children and Adolescents with Cancer
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Integrative Medicine Approaches in Children and Adolescents with Cancer

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Hematology & Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 June 2025 | Viewed by 1393

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jennifer A. Hoag

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pediatric Psychology and Developmental Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
Interests: pediatric psycho-oncology; physical activity during pediatric cancer treatment; hematopoietic stem cell donor experience and psychosocial outcomes
Dr. Sherilynn Chan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
Interests: pediatric psycho-oncology; cancer survivorship; adolescents and young adults with cancer; peer relationships among adolescents with cancer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The treatment of pediatric cancer can have significant emotional and physical impacts on children and can contribute to feelings of stress, fear, anxiety, and depression, as well as symptoms of pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. In order to ease suffering, caregivers and pediatric cancer centers are increasingly turning to integrative medicine for supportive care. Treatments such as biofeedback, acupuncture, massage, and creative arts are used to reduce side effects and improve the quality of life for children with cancer. This Special Issue of Children will focus on “Integrative Medicine Approaches in Children and Adolescents with Cancer”. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: therapeutic gaming, creative arts therapies (e.g., art, music, dance, writing), animal-assisted therapy, recreational therapy, massage therapy, yoga, prayer and spiritual care, meditation and mindfulness, acupuncture, biofeedback, hypnosis, nutrition, and physical activity. We welcome original research, systematic and scoping reviews, clinical case reports, and commentaries. Manuscripts that highlight interdisciplinary research are especially encouraged.

Dr. Jennifer A. Hoag
Dr. Sherilynn Chan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • children
  • adolescents
  • cancer
  • integrative medicine
  • complementary therapies

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 241 KiB  
Article
Team Survivors: Preliminary Analysis of an Innovative Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Survivors of Childhood Cancer and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
by Meghan K. Flannery, Jocelyn Morin, Katrina O’Malley, Debra Schmidt and Jennifer A. Hoag
Children 2025, 12(4), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12040399 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 229
Abstract
(1) Background: Inadequate physical activity is an ongoing issue for pediatric survivors of childhood cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), increasing their risk for chronic health conditions and decreasing quality of life. Team Survivors is a 12-week program in which survivors train [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Inadequate physical activity is an ongoing issue for pediatric survivors of childhood cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), increasing their risk for chronic health conditions and decreasing quality of life. Team Survivors is a 12-week program in which survivors train as a group to participate in a community triathlon. Preliminary findings from a quality improvement project of Team Survivors were used to assess its feasibility in influencing survivors’ physical activity and quality of life and their family’s perception of the program. (2) Methods: Repeated measures t-tests evaluated changes in caregiver-reported exercise self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). These findings were supplemented by a narrative review of qualitative data from caregivers and survivors on their overall experience and satisfaction with the program. (3) Results: All participants successfully completed the triathlon, and families reported satisfaction with the program’s logistics (i.e., coordination, coaching, and practice). Neither caregiver-reported exercise self-efficacy nor HRQoL significantly differed between pre- and post-intervention, but notable improvements were reported in all domains of HRQoL. Qualitatively, the perceived benefits reported by caregivers and survivors were multifaceted. Physical benefits included improvements in survivors’ physical activity level and endurance. Psychosocially, caregivers and survivors reported greater confidence and motivation for physical activity, improved coping, and increased social engagement and feelings of normalcy. (4) Conclusions: Mixed method results support the feasibility of Team Survivors in positively impacting survivors’ ability to engage in physical activity. The multifaceted structure of the program may more broadly impact psychosocial functioning in addition to physical activity. Future studies require a larger sample size to adequately power the analyses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Medicine Approaches in Children and Adolescents with Cancer)
9 pages, 380 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Landscape of Integrative Medicine in Pediatric Oncology: Characterization of an Outpatient Consultative Service
by Han-Wei V. Wu, Diana Dominguez Garcia, Julia L. Glade Bender, Jun J. Mao and Nirupa J. Raghunathan
Children 2025, 12(2), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12020198 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 640
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Symptoms from cancer and treatments often cause pediatric patients and their families to seek complementary and integrative medicine (IM) for relief. The aim of this study was to better describe the characteristics of pediatric patients at a tertiary cancer center who [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Symptoms from cancer and treatments often cause pediatric patients and their families to seek complementary and integrative medicine (IM) for relief. The aim of this study was to better describe the characteristics of pediatric patients at a tertiary cancer center who utilize an IM consultative service in the outpatient setting and the associated discussions with a pediatric-focused IM physician. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on initial IM visits for patients aged less than 19 years old at the time of the visit from January 2019 through April 2022 at a tertiary cancer center. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and visit information were abstracted from electronic medical records, and discussions with the provider (presenting symptoms and recommendations) were described. Results: In total, 207 patients and their associated visit discussions met the criteria. About half (47%, n = 97) of the patients were female with a mean patient age of 10 years old (median age 11 years, range 0 to 18 years). The overall most common presenting symptoms were nausea (35%, n = 72), pain (30%, n = 62), and poor appetite (26%, n = 53) with variations between age groups. The most discussed topics were supplements (94%), diet (91%), stress management (82%), IM therapies (60%), and medical cannabis (54%). Conclusions: Priority symptoms reported by patients and referred to the IM outpatient consultative service included nausea, pain, and poor appetite. Concerns were addressed during tailored discussions with patients and their families. Having an outpatient consultative IM service may benefit providers, patients, and families to facilitate receiving evidence-informed recommendations in a dedicated, consolidated setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Medicine Approaches in Children and Adolescents with Cancer)
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