Development of a novel survey to screen for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in young children

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This application is developed to support Rozalyn Rodwin, MD, MHS, a current Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at Yale School of Medicine, in transitioning to independence as a physician-scientist who investigates the late effects of childhood cancer therapy. Her long-term career goal is to improve the

health and quality of life of childhood cancer survivors by developing and implementing new methods to screen for treatment-related acute and long-term toxicities of cancer-directed therapy. Dr. Rodwin’s project will build on her prior work that used quantitative methods to identify symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral

neuropathy (CIPN) in children with cancer and measure the associated impact. With the mentorship and support of a multidisciplinary team of experts in pediatric oncology health outcomes, childhood cancer survivorship, treatment toxicity, qualitative research, survey development, physical therapy, and

implementation science, Dr. Rodwin will 1) acquire advanced training in qualitative research, 2) learn techniques necessary to develop and validate surveys, and 3) train in implementation science, through a combination of didactic and experiential training activities and mentored research. CIPN is a debilitating side

effect that occurs in up to 87% of children during cancer treatment. It particularly impacts young children by interfering with key motor developmental milestones and can have a lifelong impact on their health. Early detection and intervention can improve symptoms, but up to 80% of cases are missed. CIPN is challenging to

diagnose because there are no validated screening measures for children younger than five, even though ~40% of children at risk for CIPN are under five. Proxy-report surveys completed by a parent or guardian have been used to screen for other health conditions in young children but have not been developed for CIPN. This

project's overarching goal is to improve CIPN screening in young children ages 1-5-years by developing a novel proxy-report instrument that a parent or guardian can complete. We aim to 1) develop items for a novel proxy-report symptom-based survey to screen for CIPN using qualitative methods, 2) prospectively evaluate

the survey’s psychometric properties, and 3) collect preliminary data to inform survey implementation. This instrument will enable the identification of patients with CIPN who can benefit from interventions to promote childhood cancer survivors’ long-term health. Along with the proposed coursework, this research will provide

Dr. Rodwin with the training and experience to independently conduct future studies aimed at further validation and implementation of this instrument. She will apply the knowledge gained through this project to other studies aimed at screening and early intervention for treatment-related toxicities in childhood cancer survivors.