Childhood cancers are the second leading cause of death among children. Common childhood cancers include leukemia (34%), brain tumors (23%), and lymphomas (12%; Kaatsch, 2010). Fortunately, survival rates related to these diseases have been increasing (Phillips et al., 2015). There are approximately 388,500 survivors of childhood cancers, with…

Objective: To pilot and test the feasibility of a novel technology to reduce anxiety and pain associated with an invasive medical procedure in children with cancer. Method: Children with cancer (ages 7-19) whose treatment protocols required access of their subcutaneous venous port device (port access) were randomly assigned to a virtual reality…

Compared program efficacy in helping parents cope with children's painful medical procedures. Parents (n=72) of pediatric leukemia patients participated in either stress inoculation program or observed child participating in cognitive behavior therapy. Found parents in stress inoculation program reported lower anxiety scores and higher positive…

This paper reviews research literature pertaining to the pain and anxiety associated with pediatric cancer and the use of hypnosis as an adjunct treatment. It is noted that pain and anxiety are most often associated with the procedural treatment of cancer, and that the literature suggests that both pain and anxiety are multi-faceted constructs.…

An ethnically diverse sample of high and low hypnotizable children (N=27) suffering from cancer or blood disorders were trained along with their parents to use both distraction and hypnosis to reduce pain and anxiety. Distraction produced significant positive effects for observer-rated distress scores for the low hypnotizable children. Discusses…