Vol. 17 No. 2 (2023)

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3918

    Scolarisation en milieu ordinaire des jeunes en situation palliative et fin de vie : vécu et pratiques des acteurs. État de l’art

    by M. Pitel, N. El Haïk-Wagner, C. Flahault

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 12 Views

    Every year in France, 1,850 children under the age of 15 and 450 adolescents aged 15 to 17 develop cancer and 20% of these paediatric cancers remain incurable today. In these situations, young people can be accompanied by a pediatric palliative care team, in close collaboration with pediatric oncology services. One of the missions of these teams is to encourage the young person to continue his or her schooling, in a regular environment if medically possible and desired by the young person. However, very few studies have focused on the specificities of a regular schooling environment in a palliative or at the end-of-life situation. The aim of this state of the art is to explore existing literature regarding the experiences of these young people, their families, and the professionals, as well as the reasons, existing practices, and difficulties behind regular schooling in this situation.

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3920

    Scolarité des élèves atteints de cancer et rôle des enseignants : une étude exploratoire en Suisse romande

    by M. Diezi, C. Fawer Caputo, F. Naef

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 7 Views

    Although rare, a diagnosis of a childhood cancer often has a major impact not only on the sick child, his or her family, and friends but also on his or her school environment. Absenteeism secondary to treatment, side effects, and the various cognitive problems that the disease can cause may lead to school dropouts. However, reintegration into a life that is as normal as possible is desirable and contributes to the child’s emotional stability. It requires the collaboration of many people, including teachers, who play an essential role in this path back to normality. Various studies have shown that the teachers who were best informed about childhood cancer were also those who would best consider the needs of the sick pupil and who would make appropriate school arrangements. In our article, we present the results of an exploratory study that was conducted in the French-speaking part of Switzerland among teachers working in regular schools and by means of a non-standardized questionnaire posted in professional networks. The aim of this research was to establish an initial overview by asking them about the adaptive measures put in place for their pupil, the collaborations within and outside the school, the management of the class, the difficulties experienced, and their needs.

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3921

    La spiritualité dans le cadre d’une maladie incurable : points de vue des patients

    by M. Cuniah, G. Bréchon, N. Bailly

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 9 Views

    The spiritual component characterizes one of the major foundations on which the practice of palliative care leans on. However, in the French context, this component remains little explored from the patients’ point of view. This study aims to explore the spiritual dimension and the place of spiritual accompaniment in patients with an incurable disease. To this end, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 patients in palliative care. A thematic content analysis was carried out. Findings show that spirituality is a complex issue, generally defined as a search for meaning. Spiritual needs relate to the need for recognition, connection to others, and self-actualization. Eight patients seem in favor of taking spirituality into account in the accompaniment and two patients are not yet ready. For these 10 patients, spiritual accompaniment would 1) allow them to better cope with the disease and 2) promote a rehumanization of care. Finally, two patients are not predisposed to discuss this dimension with professionals. Even if the patients recognize spiritual needs, our results invite us to think that spiritual accompaniment is not selfevident. The establishment of a spiritual accompaniment must be possible but in the respect of the uniqueness of the patient, what makes sense to him, and his individual freedom. Proposing to the other a space, a presence, a listening to this dimension, if there is a demand for it, are prerequisites in order to enlighten the patients’ personal journey and the sense of what they are going through.

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3923

    Réflexions cliniques et éthiques à partir d’une recherche menée en psycho-oncologie sur la communication lors de l’annonce de l’échec d’un traitement antitumoral

    by A. Rault, J. Terrasson, A. Brédart, S. Dolbeault

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 6 Views

    This article presents the clinical and ethical issues that emerged during our research in psycho-oncology. This research addresses the communication between oncologists and their patients, and pediatric oncologists and parents of sick children at a particular moment of the cancer care pathway: when they are informed about cancer treatment resistance and the absence of known curative treatment. The implementation of this study requires taking into account its emotional and psychological aspects. First, we present the issues related to the participants’ recruitment: how and when to contact them? Then, we question the potential impact of this research on the participants’ psychological status: which words to use and which questions to ask? Finally, we provide elements of precautions to take in interpreting and transmitting the results: what are the implications of the methodological choices? At each step, our reflections are illustrated by concrete examples. This article highlights the need for a combined clinical and ethical reflection in psycho-oncology research.

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3925

    L’expérience à long terme des parents endeuillés en oncologie pédiatrique : une étude rétrospective de 2 à 18 ans après le décès d’un enfant

    by C.J. Bourque, E. Dumont, M. Martisella, M.-C. Levasseur, L. Daoust, S. Cantin, M.-C. Levasseur, Q. de Steur, M. Duval, M.-A. Marquis, S. Sultan

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 7 Views

    Aim : This retrospective and cross-sectional study aims to understand the long-term experience of bereaved parents in pediatric oncology and gender differences in parental bereavement. Procedure : A multisectional questionnaire co-constructed with clinicians and bereavement specialists was held online in 2018 and 2019. The survey participants were parents whose child had died in the hematology-oncology department of the CHU Sainte-Justine 2 to 18 years before. Specific sections on reactions, changes, and memories were used for descriptive analyses. Results : Responses from 48 parents were analyzed. The results indicate that mothers tend to modify some of their social activities, while fathers seek to regain their habits. The initially strong reactions of the parents diminish over time without disappearing, more specifically sadness and sleep disturbances. Parents have soothing memories of the interactions and care received from clinical and community workers even several years after the death of their child. Conclusion : The offer of a long-term community and professional psychosocial support is relevant, as is the adaptation of resources and activities to meet the needs of couples and the individual needs of parents according to gender.

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3931

    L’engagement en matière de préservation de la qualité de vie des patients atteints de cancer : l’exemple des RCSF — Rencontres annuelles cancer sexualité et fertilité

    by F. Farsi, E. Huyghe, L. Vanlemmens, S. Dolbeault, T. Almont, E. Marx, I. Flandrin, J. Véronique-Baudin, B. Panes-Ruedin, P. Bondil

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 3 Views

    The issue of sexual health is not yet fully integrated into the consultation process by practitioners and not significantly integrated by other stakeholders in the cancer care pathway. However, it is known and increasingly documented that these are issues of concern for patients and their partners, who consider, for the vast majority, that their sexual health and/or their parental plans are important issues. For more than 10 years now, a French language group of experts (GEX– Oncosexuality/oncofertility expert group of the Association francophone pour les soins oncologiques de support), composed of professionnals involved in oncology, reproductive or sexuality medicine (e.g., oncologists, psychologists, sexologist), leads different actions: awareness, training, and work on good practices allowing caregivers to feel legitimate to dialogue with their patients, to intervene with simple proposal of therapies, and to direct toward complementary resources and skills. It is in this context and with the same objectives that the interdisciplinary days titled “RCSF–Sexuality and Fertility Cancer Meetings” are organized each year in a different region in France or Switzerland.

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3970

    Un portail de ressources en ligne pour aider à la scolarisation des jeunes atteints de cancer

    by N. El Haïk-Wagner

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 3 Views

    The “Young Generations” working group of the French Society for Palliative Care launched in 2021 the online platform “Life, Death … Shouldn’t we talk about it?”. This website is a toolbox to help education professionals, school medicine, and parents to open spaces for expression on the issues of end of life, death, and bereavement with children and adolescents. This platform can support oncology professionals in their care of patients and their families, in their links with other hospital services and schools, and in their efforts to disseminate a pedagogy of finitude.

  • Open Access

    Article

    Article ID: 3971

    « Guérir » la souffrance psychique des personnes atteintes du cancer ? Questions éthiques

    by A. Polomeni

    Psycho-Oncologie, Vol.17, No.2, 2023; 4 Views

    Based on the report of the Interministerial Mission of Vigilance and Combat against Sectarian Abuses which notes the risk of devoting support care to the benefit of sectarian drifts, the author discusses the representations of psychological and psychological care given to cancer patients.