Survivors of Childhood Cancer: Using Siblings as a Control Group
2003; American Academy of Pediatrics; Volume: 112; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1542/peds.112.6.1454
ISSN1098-4275
AutoresMarina Cuttini, Monica Da Frè, Riccardo Haupt, Giovanni Deb, Carlo Baronci, Paolo Tamaro,
Tópico(s)Family and Disability Support Research
ResumoTo the Editor. — The Italian Multicentric Study on Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Cancer provides support to the hypothesis discussed in the important article by Zebrack et al1 that using siblings as a control group may underestimate the level of psychological distress among survivors. We recruited all survivors aged 18 to 35 years treated for childhood cancer (brain tumors excluded) in the 3 Italian Pediatric Research Institutes: Burlo Garofolo (Trieste), Giannina Gaslini (Genova), and Bambino Gesu (Rome). Controls were selected among siblings or other relatives or friends of the cases; when no such control was available, a search was carried out in the same area of residence of the case through random digit dialing. Controls were also matched to cases for age (± 3 years) and if possible gender. Data collection was carried out in 2001 through a structured telephone questionnaire. A total of 501 cases and 501 controls agreed to be interviewed (response rate 89% and 94%, respectively). All respondents were asked about their health status, feelings of depression or anxiety (current, chronic/recurrent, in the past only, or …
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