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Pain and Sleep Disturbances in Children Living Beyond Cancer: A Case-Control Study

NCT07120646 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 76

Last updated 2025-08-13

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Children living beyond cancer (CBC) represent a unique and growing population of young people in need of long-term clinical support. Studies suggest that 11-44% of CBC experience chronic pain, negatively impacting a wide range of child biopsychosocial outcomes and creating high financial burden for their families and society. Often comorbid with pain, one of the most chronic and disturbing side effects reported by CBC are sleep disturbances, and in particular, difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep. Indeed, \>50% of CBC report some form of sleep disturbance even 9 to 15 years after the cancer diagnosis. Much attention has been paid to sleep and pain as independent constructs within pediatric oncology, yet Belgian data is lacking. Additionally, little is known about how these domains interact with one another and subsequent indications for prevention and intervention. Although evidence shows an interrelationship between pain and sleep in adult and pediatric populations, this interrelationship is understudied in childhood cancer patients and CBC. (Chronic) pain may serve as a modifiable target for interventions to improve sleep quality and vice versa, and understanding this relationship is crucial for providing comprehensive care to CBC. Therefore, this cross-sectional case-control study aims to explore the differences in pain and sleep disturbances in CBC compared to healthy age- and sex-matched healthy controls, as well as the interrelationship between both outcomes.

Conditions

  • Childhood Cancer Survivors

Interventions

OTHER

Questionnaire, actigraphy measurement and sleep diary

Baseline questionnaires (measuring socio-demographic and health-related information, as well as most outcome measures), followed by 2 weeks of actigraphy measurement and daily sleep diary.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Research Foundation Flanders

    collaborator OTHER

  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Emma Rheel, PhD · Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Eligibility

Min Age
6 Years
Max Age
12 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-08-31
Primary Completion
2026-06-30
Completion
2026-06-30

Countries

  • Belgium

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07120646 on ClinicalTrials.gov