This series of files links two large population-based sources providing detailed data about Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. The SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) program consists of clinical, demographic, and cause of death information collected from tumor registries beginning in January 1, 1973. The Medicare contribution includes all claims for covered health care services from beneficiaries’ time of eligibility until death. Linkage is processed biennially by SEER and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) staff. 95% of individuals age 65 and older are included in the SEER files. Due to privacy concerns, access to this database requires an application, SEER-Medicare Data Use Agreement (DUA), and documentation of institutional review board approval. Additionally, the National Cancer Institute’s information technology contractor assesses a processing fee the amount of which is dependent upon the type and number of files requested.
This study tested a sleep promotion intervention (randomized controlled trial) in children with recently diagnosed central nervous system tumors admitted to the hospital for high dose chemotherapy in preparation for autologous stem cell rescue. We hypothesized that disturbed sleep of hospitalized pediatric oncology patients would be reduced by altering the hospital sleep environment. Therefore, a randomized, attention-controlled sleep intervention was implemented in children and adolescents with central nervous system tumors admitted for 6 days for high dose chemotherapy prior to stem cell transplant. Children and adolescents diagnosed with medulloblastoma or histologically similar tumor, 4 to 19 years and their parent were recruited over 3 years.Questionnaires used to gather the data were: Fatigue Scale-Child, Fatigue Scale-Adolescent, Fatigue Scale-Parent. Data was also obtained using actigraphy.
This 2-phase study explored the differences in sleep and circadian activity rhythms between adolescents who were within 5 years of completing treatment for any type of cancer and healthy, age-matched controls; and trialed a morning bright light therapy intervention to gather preliminary evidence of its safety, feasibility and outcomes.
This study measured circadian activity rhythms (CAR) and fatigue in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on maintenance chemotherapy during the 5 days prior to a pulse of dexamethasone and the 5 days after the start of dexamethasone. CAR was measured via an actigraph worn continuously for 10 days. Fatigue was measured at 4 time points. The fatigue measures used for this study were Fatigue Scale-Child, Fatigue Scale-Adolescent and Fatigue Scale-Parent. The aims of this descriptive study were to compare CAR during the periods before and during dexamethasone therapy, and to explore the hypothesis that less robust CAR was associated with greater fatigue.