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Oncology teams utilised to treat childhood cancer feature several personnel with varied skillsets. While medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons and pathologists are focused on the treatment itself, the work of the caregiver spans both physical and emotional support.
Nurses and parents take on the role of caregivers for children with cancer throughout their treatment and time in oncology wards. Central to a child’s wellbeing, caregivers must be supported, protected and empowered so that circle stays whole.
The Kids’ Cancer Project has invested into projects that will aid nurses and caregivers as part of its current remit to enhance pain management and empower parents and caregivers.
Dr Karin Plummer, an inaugural Col Reynolds Fellow, children's cancer nurse and clinician researcher, is aiming to utilise funding provided by The Kids’ Cancer Project to support pain management for children undergoing cancer treatment via innovative technologies.
Dr Plummer believes that the work of both parents and nurses should be both celebrated and protected.
“Behind every child’s cancer diagnosis is a parent or caregiver carrying an extraordinary emotional, physical, and cognitive load. A parent once shared with me that they are their child’s ‘circle of security’, the steady constant in a world that suddenly becomes unpredictable following a cancer diagnosis,” she says.
Tailored approaches powered by precision medicine are the future of childhood cancer treatment. Those personalised approaches extend to caregiving, with The Kids’ Cancer Project investing in Dr Plummer’s studies, as well as Rachel Edwards’ work, which explores ways to mitigate distress for kids undergoing BMT through patient-reported outcome measures, or PROMs.
The Kids’ Cancer Project’s $487,000 investment into Dr Plummer’s research includes the DECIDE study, which developed a decision aid to help parents and healthcare providers co-create personalised pain management plans for children undergoing bone marrow transplantation.
The DECIDE study, now concluded, has helped informed the next evolution of Dr Plummer’s research, XR4KIDS, which will investigate how extended reality (XR) technology can support pain management children undergoing cancer treatment.
If you’re a parent, former childhood cancer patient or medical health professional that could help Dr Plummer with her study and how these technologies could aid this research, click here.
“One of the biggest challenges in supporting a child through is balancing effective pain and symptom management alongside intensive therapies,” she says.
“Families often face uncertainty about what level of discomfort is ‘normal’, when to intervene, and how to navigate complex medication decisions. Pain is particularly difficult, as many children downplay their symptoms, leaving caregivers to read subtle cues while trying to keep a child comfortable.
“This is why tools like our DECIDE project and studies like XR4Kids are so important. They help families and healthcare providers make shared, informed decisions and explore new ways to comfort and empower both children and caregivers during care.”
This Caregivers Awareness Month, The Kids’ Cancer Project is celebrating the humanity of caregivers everywhere that stand at the bedside of children with cancer during their most challenging times.
To fund research that will help caregivers and those in their care, click the button below.
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