Nancy U. Cairns

Central nervous system prophylaxis Studies showing impairment in verbal skills and academic achievement

School attendance and school achievement were the parameters studied to assess the pediatric cancer patients ability to learn and keep pace with their peers. Effects of CNS prophylaxis, as either intrathecal methotrexate (IT) alone or intrathecal methotrexate given in addition to cranial radiation (CRT), were studied in two groups. A third group of cancer patients who received no CNS prophylaxis, and two comparison groups, siblings and a matched sample of children, also participated in the study. Impairment in central nervous system function was measured by means of psychological testing, neurological examination, and computer-assisted tomography. Patients who received central nervous system prophylactic treatments at an early age had poorer performance on verbal IQ scores, with comprehension and arithmetic subscores being most affected. Patients who received both cranial radiotherapy plus intrathecal methotrexate showed a decrease in six out of seven categories of instruction when grades from the year prior to diagnosis were compared to those obtained 3 years after diagnosis. The combined groups of patients with leukemia had a lower grade point average and poorer school attendance than did the comparison groups.

MMPI indicators of stress and marital discord among parents of children with chronic illness

Abstract The present study explored the emotional adjustment and marital relationships of parents of children with chronic, life-threatening illness. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was completed by 42 fathers and 71 mothers of pediatric cancer patients and 26 fathers and 29 mothers of hemophilic children. Their MMPI profiles were examined for signs of emotional disturbance (i.e., number of T scores of 70 or higher on the clinical scales). Profiles of husband-and-wife pairs were analyzed for marital stress using the Arnold Sign Indicator (ASI). Results indicated that both groups of parents suffered more distress than a normal group but less than marriage counselees. Parents of cancer patients showed higher levels of stress than parents of hemophiliacs.

Childhood cancer: parental discord and divorce

Parents of 191 children who were treated for cancer over a seven-year period completed and returned a questionnaire concerning marital status. Contrary to the prediction of a high divorce rate among these families, the study found a person-year divorce rate of 1.19%. This is slightly lower than the 2.03% person-year divorce rate among married couples with children in the states of Kansas and Missouri. The Arnold sign indicator analysis of the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory was used to measure marital stress in 38 intact couples whose children were treated for cancer. The study sample experienced more stress than a comparison group of 23 couples who had hemophilic children. Both of these populations had more stress than a normal standardization group but less than a standardization group of marriage counselees.