Adaptive Psychosocial Outcomes in Cancer Predisposition Syndromes: A Scoping Review

Abstract

An increasing number of cancer predisposition syndromes (CPSs) have been associated with childhood cancer in light of advent advances in genomic medicine. While children and adolescents with CPSs present with compounded medical and psychosocial sequalae across the developmental trajectory, little is known about how adaptive psychosocial outcomes are conceptualized and promoted. Exploring adaptive and modifiable targets in psychological care may potentially promote coping among patients with CPSs and their families. The study undertakes a scoping review to describe, synthesize, characterize, and identify gaps in the literature on adaptive psychosocial outcomes among young people with CPSs and their caregivers. Adhering to PRISMA Extension guidelines and checklist, a systematic search in four databases was most recently conducted in February 2024: (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO). A total of 642 titles were screened and 36 articles were reviewed at the full-text level. Of those, five met the study inclusion criteria. The majority of articles were descriptive and centered around caregivers of at-risk patients with CPSs. The scoping review describes what is known about adaptive psychosocial outcomes associated with pediatric CPS and underscores the substantial gap in existing literature. Several important findings were identified across studies: significance of undergoing genetic testing, perceived surveillance benefits, positive psychological outcomes, intra-family communication, young people and caregiver psychosocial support. Future research is needed to investigate adaptive psychosocial outcomes associated with CPSs and delineate potential coping mechanisms. Findings may inform the development and dissemination of evidence-based psychological approaches designed to promote coping with pediatric CPSs.