Pediatric Oncology

This chapter provides an overview of key considerations when providing consultation-liaison services to pediatric oncology patients and their families. The chapter offers a brief overview of medical basics that are important to understand when working with this population. Strategies to enhance patient and family engagement and the benefits of early initiation of psychological consultation for youth with cancer are presented. The chapter provides an overview of case formulation, with an emphasis on primary domains to assess when completing an initial consult (e.g., medical history, family history, physical, emotional, cognitive, social, developmental, behavioral, academic, and socio-cultural), as well as examples of specific information to obtain within each domain. A succinct review of evidence-based psychological interventions that are most relevant to working with youth with cancer and their families is provided (e.g., coping and adjustment, behavioral concerns, adherence, physical symptoms, and end-of-life issues). Also included is information about the adaptation of psychology services, including a discussion of how service provision may differ across settings (i.e., inpatient unit, outpatient oncology clinic, and outpatient psychology clinic). Finally, a case example highlights the process of completing an initial psychology consultation for a newly diagnosed child with cancer and implementing targeted interventions. A Table included in the Appendix provides sample consultation questions for patients and caregivers across suggested domains. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved