Psychooncology. 2022 Feb 22. doi: 10.1002/pon.5909. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of cancer in a child is a profoundly stressful experience. The impact on parents’ somatic health, including lifestyle-related diseases, however, is unresolved.
METHODS: We conducted a nationwide population- and register-based study with parents of all children under age 20 diagnosed with cancer in Denmark between 1998 – 2013 and parents of cancer-free children, matched (1:10) on child’s age and family type. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in Cox proportional hazard models for thirteen major International Classification of Diseases-10 disease-groups, selected stress- and lifestyle-related disease-groups and investigated moderation by time since diagnosis, parental sex, and cancer type.
RESULTS: Among n=7797 parents of children with cancer compared with n=74,388 parents of cancer-free children (51% mothers, mean age 42), we found no overall pattern of increased risk for 13 broad disease-groups. We found increases in digestive system diseases (HR1.06, 95% CI1.01-1.12), genitourinary system diseases (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.14), and neoplasms (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.13-1.27), the latter attributable mostly to increased rates of tobacco-related cancers and mothers’ diet-related cancers.
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first attempt to document the impact of childhood cancer on parents’ somatic health. With the exception of increased risk for neoplasms, likely due to shared genetic or lifestyle factors, our findings offer the reassuring message, that the burden of caring for a child with cancer does not in general increase parents’ risk for somatic diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID:35194898 | DOI:10.1002/pon.5909
