PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:~I. To determine parents' level of concern regarding the use of opioids for pain in their children.~SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:~I. To explore differences in parents' level of concern regarding the use of opioids for pain in their children as well as level of concern for side effect of opioids between the opioid subgroup and non-opioid subgroup.~II. To explore differences in other parental attitudes and beliefs between the opioid subgroup and the non-opioid subgroup.~III. For each concern, associations between:~IIIa. Level of concern regarding the use of opioids and the age and disease of the child.~IIIb. Level of concern regarding the use of opioids and parental history of addiction.~IIIc. Level of concern regarding the use of opioids and a family history of addiction.~OUTLINE:~Parents complete survey over 20 minutes. Patients' medical records are reviewed.
This study investigates parents' attitudes and beliefs on the risks of opioid use in children with cancer. Pain is the common symptom reported by pediatric cancer patients. Opioids are the mainstay in the treatment of cancer-related pain. Despite an almost universal desire to prevent or mitigate pain in their children, parents exhibit complex behaviors from withholding prescribed opioids entirely to giving less than the prescribed analgesic dose of opioid to discontinuing despite ongoing pain. Information gathered from this study may help address a crucial knowledge gap in researchers' understanding of parental attitudes and beliefs regarding the risks associated with opioid use in children and adolescents.