Childhood Leukemias and Lymphomas
Course #92344 - $90 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Cancer is the leading cause of death among children 14 years of age and younger and leukemia and lymphoma are among the most prevalent cancers in children. Leukemia and lymphoma may have a genetic basis, and primary care practitioners should know which patients may be at risk for the development of one of these diseases. Also essential is an understanding of appropriate diagnostic testing, as well as the cellular classification, staging, and prognostic variables associated with the disease. A diagnosis of cancer in a child creates devastating effects on the child and his or her family. Because of the key relationship between a pediatrician, family medicine physician, nurses, and a child and his or her family, these practitioners are often an important resource for emotional support, guidance, and referrals. Interventions can also help children with cancer through problems with social interactions and school-related issues. Primary pediatric care must continue during treatment for cancer, and primary care practitioners should understand how leukemia and lymphoma and their treatment affect growth and development and routine preventive measures, such as immunizations. The child's primary care practitioner should also be responsible for maintaining documentation of the child's treatment and providing follow-up care. Over the past several years, research has documented the long-term effects of childhood cancer and its treatment. Studies have shown that more than two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors have serious health conditions, and many have more than one health condition. The specific findings of these studies point to the need for heightened awareness of the health risks for survivors and the value of creating survivorship care plans.
- INTRODUCTION
- OVERVIEW OF CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIAS AND LYMPHOMAS
- TYPES OF LEUKEMIA
- TYPES OF LYMPHOMA
- IDENTIFYING LEUKEMIAS AND LYMPHOMAS
- DIAGNOSIS OF LEUKEMIAS
- DIAGNOSIS OF LYMPHOMA
- COMMUNICATION WITH THE PATIENT AND FAMILY
- TREATMENT APPROACHES
- SUPPORTIVE CARE
- PALLIATIVE AND END-OF-LIFE CARE
- PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES FOR THE PATIENT AND FAMILY
- LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS
- CASE STUDIES
- CONCLUSION
- RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES WITH A CHILD OR ADOLESCENT WITH LEUKEMIA OR LYMPHOMA
- Works Cited
- Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations Citations
This course is designed primarily for pediatricians, family medicine physicians, nurses, and other healthcare practitioners in the pediatric or family medicine setting. Primary care physicians, other practitioners in primary care, social workers, and marriage and family therapists will also benefit from this course.
All healthcare professionals should understand how pediatric leukemia and lymphoma and their treatment affect growth and development and routine preventive measures and be skilled in discussing emotional well-being and psychosocial issues and in recommending psychosocial interventions. The purpose of this course is to enhance healthcare professionals' understanding of treatment options for childhood leukemias and lymphomas, the effects of treatment on normal growth and development, and the psychosocial effect of cancer on a child and his or her family.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Discuss the prevalence and types of childhood leukemia and lymphoma.
- Identify the clinical signs and symptoms associated with childhood leukemia.
- Describe the diagnostic testing for and classification of childhood leukemias.
- Discuss the prognostic variables for childhood leukemias.
- Describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and prognostic variables of Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Discuss the signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and prognostic variables associated with non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
- Explain the principles of communicating a diagnosis of childhood cancer.
- Discuss the importance of clinical trials and the issues unique to trials involving children.
- Outline the treatment approaches for childhood leukemia and lymphoma.
- Discuss the various means of supportive care needed for children/adolescents with leukemia or lymphoma.
- Describe the elements of effective palliation of symptoms in the end of life for children/adolescents with cancer.
- Recognize the psychosocial and spiritual needs of children/adolescents with cancer and their families.
- Discuss coping mechanisms of children/adolescents with cancer and their effect on psychosocial adjustment.
- Explain the psychosocial effect of childhood cancer on family dynamics.
- Define the most common long-term effects of childhood leukemias and lymphomas and their treatment.
- Outline recommendations for necessary surveillance and long-term monitoring specific for a child's or adolescent's cancer and treatment.
Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC, is President of Editorial Rx, Inc., which provides medical writing and editing services on a wide variety of clinical topics and in a range of media. A medical writer and editor for more than 30 years, Ms. Alexander has written for both professional and lay audiences, with a focus on continuing education materials, medical meeting coverage, and educational resources for patients. She is the Editor Emeritus of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Journal, the peer-review journal representing the largest association of medical communicators in the United States. Ms. Alexander earned a Master’s degree in technical and professional writing, with a concentration in medical writing, at Northeastern University, Boston. She has also earned certification as a life sciences editor and as a medical writer.
Contributing faculty, Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
John M. Leonard, MD
Mary Franks, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Alice Yick Flanagan, PhD, MSW
Margaret Donohue, PhD
The division planners have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.