Around an upcoming Bruce Springsteen concert: Patient control over cancer treatment

"At almost any age, there is a desire to exert some control over your environment," says Dr. Holcombe Grier, a pediatric oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "Medical residents need to be thoughtful in doing rounds with me and ask a child, 'I have to listen to your chest. Do you want me to do it here, or do you want to stand over by Mommy?'" Dr. Grier recognizes the importance of respecting young patients' intellects and easing their anxiety by always including them in conversations and decision-making about their care.

When it's clinically safe, physicians will occasionally put off starting a new series of chemotherapy drugs or steroids for a few days so a patient can enjoy a birthday party or other major event. One woman remembers her husband working with his doctor to rearrange a chemo treatment around an upcoming Bruce Springsteen concert.

Advice to cancer patients: Find a doctor who can partner with you against your disease.

Thanks to Saul Wisnia for the source article in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of the Dana-Farber newsletter, Paths of Progress. This is an excerpt from that article about ways for cancer patients to cope with the ups and downs of treatment.

We're going to put on your magic cream: Medical play

Cori Liptak on medical play [excerpted from this article about Cori Liptak’s work]:

Sometimes children aren't sedated for difficult procedures, and they need to sit still, and we help them to get through it. We can do work ahead of time to help them prepare so they understand what their job is throughout the course of the procedure. They might say, "Cori, I'm going to sit like a statue right now." Anytime you get to witness a child using something you taught and be successful as a result, that's rewarding.

For instance, when I use medical play with a child and see him stop giving the puppet lots of shots, and instead hear him say, "We're now going to put on your magic cream. It's numbing and you're not going to feel a thing. Don't be scared!" I’m watching him evolve in his ability to cope, and that transfers over into his real-life experience.

These behavioral interventions play a role in helping children master their situation medically.

Advice to parents: Role-playing a medical appointment with your child might make them less fearful.

Read about a very different kind of medical simulation.

Thanks to Cori Liptak, PhD, for the source article in the Fall/Winter 2008 issue of Paths of Progress, edited by Dawn Stapleton, and published by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.