Pediatric CancerNCT00001186
Psychological Benefits of a Normalized Camping Experience for Children With Cancer
An observational study of Pediatric Cancer, run by National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Background: Cancer has an enormous impact on the psychological and social well-being of the family unit. The life-threatening connotations of cancer single out the ill child from his peer/family group as one who is different, and often unable to maintain a normal lifestyle. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 25 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Pediatric Cancer
- How many people
- 5,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Feb 1983to not given
- Phase
- Observational
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 7 to 25 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Study population: Children 7-17 years of age who are currently being treated for cancer or are up to 5 years post therapy, OR, Young Adults with Cancer (YACers) 18-25 years of age who are acting as counselors at Camp Fantastic and are enrolled in another NIH protocol.
Who may be able to join
- Children 7-17 years of age who are currently being treated for cancer or are up to 5 years post therapy.
- OR
- Young adults with cancer (YACers) 18-25 years of age who are acting as counselors at Camp Fantastic.
- Children/young adults will be selected for camp after careful screening by a multidisciplinary committee consisting of medical and program directors. While the state of the child s health will certainly be considered there will be no exclusions for:
- Patients who are receiving intramuscular, intrathecal, oral or intravenous medications or blood products.
- Patients who have had amputations or have other physical defects.
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- Patients who become febrile and neutropenic at the onset or during the week of camp will stay at camp on antibiotic therapy providing their condition remains stable.
- At the discretion of the multidisciplinary committee consisting of medical and program directors, special exceptions may be made for patients with extenuating circumstances.
- All children will be officially enrolled and will have an NIH Clinical Center Patient Care Number. The enrollment of a child, signing of protocol consent, and completion of admission paperwork is done in person but under extenuating circumstances it may be done over the phone after the paperwork has been mailed to the parent/guardian. Extenuating circumstances would include a last minute application to camp after the trip for camp screenings in Norfolk or Richmond has been completed.
Who cannot join
- -Children with a medical diagnosis other than cancer or their related disorders.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Background:
- Cancer has an enormous impact on the psychological and social well-being of the family unit. The life-threatening connotations of cancer single out the ill child from his peer/family group as one who is different, and often unable to maintain a normal lifestyle. Physical sequelae of cancer and its treatment accentuate the differences between these children and their normal peers/siblings.
- It is important that children with cancer be prepared to function outside of protected situations and begin to develop skills of separation and independence. For healthy children, some of these latter skills are acquired by a camping experience. Such an experience for the patient with cancer is frequently precluded by their dependence on medical facilities and the physical limitations of their activities.
- The goal of this study will be to assess the short and long term benefits of the "normalized" camping experience, provided in conjunction with Special Love, Inc., on the patients and staff. In particular, we will seek to determine whether such a comprehensive experience is capable of influencing the attitudes and life experiences of patients and staff in a positive manner.
Read more
Objectives:
-To evaluate the impact of an enriched normalized camping experience on the quality of life of the pediatric cancer patient. In particular, attempts will be made to measure the manner in which this experience influences the child's sense of well-being and self-esteem as well as his or her relationship with parents, family, and peers.
Eligibility:
- Children 7-17 years of age who are currently being treated for cancer or are up to 3 years post therapy OR Young adults with cancer (YACers) 18-25 years of age who are acting as counselors at Camp Fantastic
- All children/young adults will be selected for camp after careful screening by a multidisciplinary committee consisting of medical and program directors.
- At the discretion of the multidisciplinary committee consisting of medical and program directors, special exceptions may be made for children with extenuating circumstances.
Design:
- Assessment of benefit may include interviews with children and families before, during and following camp. Observational data on the child's performance at camp will be noted.
- Medical and nursing personnel will consist of staff from the Pediatric Branch at the NCI, other units within the NIH, and participating institutions.
- Special Love members, the Program Director at the 4-H Center camp (site of the camp) and Pediatric Branch staff at the NCI will coordinate the camp program, taking into account the medical needs of each camper.
- Every attempt will be made to provide a full agenda of age appropriate activities for the patients.
- The length of the camping experience for children with cancer will be for 7 days beginning on a Sunday and extending through the following Saturday morning. Patients will be transported to the camp from the NIH Clinical Center and the Virginia hospitals by bus.
Read the detailed description
Background:
- Cancer has an enormous impact on the psychological and social well-being of the family unit. The life-threatening connotations of cancer single out the ill child from his peer/family group as one who is different, and often unable to maintain a normal lifestyle. Physical sequelae of cancer and its treatment accentuate the differences between these children and their normal peers/siblings.
- It is important that children with cancer be prepared to function outside of protected situations and begin to develop skills of separation and independence. For healthy children, some of these latter skills are acquired by a camping experience. Such an experience for the patient with cancer is frequently precluded by their dependence on medical facilities and the physical limitations of their activities.
- The goal of this study will be to assess the short and long term benefits of the "normalized" camping experience, provided in conjunction with Special Love, Inc., on the patients and staff. In particular, we will seek to determine whether such a comprehensive experience is capable of influencing the attitudes and life experiences of patients and staff in a positive manner.
Objectives:
-To evaluate the impact of an enriched normalized camping experience on the quality of life of the pediatric cancer patient. In particular, attempts will be made to measure the manner in which this experience influences the child's sense of well-being and self-esteem as well as his or her relationship with parents, family, and peers.
Eligibility:
- Children 7-17 years of age who are currently being treated for cancer or are up to 5 years post therapy OR Young adults with cancer (YACers) 18-25 years of age who are acting as counselors at Camp Fantastic and are enrolled in another NIH protocol.
- All children/young adults will be selected for camp after careful screening by a multidisciplinary committee consisting of medical and program directors.
- At the discretion of the multidisciplinary committee consisting of medical and program directors, special exceptions may be made for children with extenuating circumstances.
Design:
- Assessment of benefit may include interviews with children and families before, during and following camp. Observational data on the child's performance at camp will be collected.
- Medical and nursing personnel will consist of staff from the Pediatric Oncology Branch at the NCI, other units within the NIH, and participating institutions.
- Special Love members, the Program Director at the 4-H Center camp (site of the camp) and Pediatric Oncology Branch staff at the NCI will coordinate the camp program, taking into account the medical needs of each camper.
- Every attempt will be made to provide a full agenda of age appropriate activities for the patients.
- The length of the camping experience for children with cancer will be for 7 days beginning on a Sunday and extending through the following Saturday morning. Patients will be transported to the camp from the NIH Clinical Center and the Virginia hospitals by bus.
- Conditions
- Pediatric Cancer
- Keywords
- Psychosocial, Self Esteem, Oncology, Well-Being, Pediatrics, Natural History
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort 1 | Children 7-17 years of age who are currently being treated for cancer or are up to 5 years post therapy. | |
| Cohort 2 | Young adults with cancer (YACers) 18-25 years of age acting as counselors at Camp Fantastic and are enrolled in another NIH protocol. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Increase in self esteem
Psychological benefit
Measured: Ongoing
Secondary outcomes (1)
Improvement in quality of interactions
Psychological benefit
Measured: ongoing
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Nov 1999 (estimated)
- Study start15 Feb 1983
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Pediatric CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by National Cancer Institute (NCI)The sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 5,000 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- John F Shern, M.D., Principal investigator, National Cancer Institute (NCI)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00001186
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 830022
- Other IDs
- 83-C-0022
- Status last verified
- 13 Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 3 Nov 1999
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: BTRIS: All IPD recorded in the medical record will be shared with intramural investigators upon request.
Publications
Weissman MM, Orvaschel H, Padian N. Children's symptom and social functioning self-report scales. Comparison of mothers' and children's reports. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1980 Dec;168(12):736-40. doi: 10.1097/00005053-198012000-00005.
PubMed 7452212Reinhard SC, Given B, Petlick NH, Bemis A. Supporting Family Caregivers in Providing Care. In: Hughes RG, editor. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2008 Apr. Chapter 14. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2665/
PubMed 21328765Achenbach TM, Edelbrock CS. The Child Behavior Profile: II. Boys aged 12-16 and girls aged 6-11 and 12-16. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1979 Apr;47(2):223-33. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.47.2.223. No abstract available.
PubMed 469068