Assessment and Non-pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain in Pediatric Cancer Survivors: Current Practices and Recommendations for Next Steps.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic pain is a prevalent and debilitating late effect of pediatric cancer. It is also multifaceted and requires comprehensive assessment to guide optimal treatment. While pharmacological interventions for chronic pain in this population are well summarized elsewhere, a current review of less invasive non-pharmacological interventions and assessments to guide them is needed.

RECENT FINDINGS: Recent research has found the utility of biopsychosocial assessment of pain in pediatric cancer survivors using both validated measures such as the PROMIS and brief screeners. For intervention, preliminary studies found positive outcomes for physical activity interventions and biofeedback for pain in survivors. Advances in management of chronic pain in survivors are promising, though future research should refine identification and treatment. More research is needed on comprehensive biopsychosocial pain assessments and tailoring treatment. Further, promising interventions in broad chronic pain literature such as hypnosis should be explored for pediatric cancer survivors.