Psycho-oncology research
Understanding and improving quality of life and childhood cancer outcomes.
Childhood cancer is a devastating diagnosis for children, adolescents, and their families. While long-term survival rates are improving, paediatric cancer can still have significant short and long-term effects on physical health, cognition, emotional wellbeing, and overall quality of life.
Our research focus
In the Psycho-oncology Research group, our research covers the entire journey from diagnosis to years after treatment. We aim to understand the impacts of cancer and develop interventions to improve outcomes for children and their families.
Key areas of research
- Clinical trials: Testing new treatments and therapies.
- Longitudinal studies: Tracking health outcomes over time.
- Digital health interventions: Using technology to support patients.
- Neurocognitive studies: Examining the effects on brain function.
- Health services research: Improving healthcare delivery and support.
Our commitment to consumer engagement
We prioritise engaging with consumers to ensure our research has real-life impacts. Our goal is to reduce the long-term burden of disease and enhance the quality of life for children and their families.
Contact us
Associate Professor Maria McCarthy AM
Email:
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Group Leaders
Group Members
Our projects
Emerge: An eHealth Model of Care following paediatric cancer treatment
Emerge: An eHealth Model of Care following paediatric cancer treatment. This telehealth program run by specialist cancer nurses and allied and mental health professionals and offers continued support and care to patients and families via two telehealth consultations within the first 6–12 months of completing treatment.
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FOCUS: Fertility Options for Children and Young Survivors
FOCUS is a double blind randomised controlled trial of a paediatric fertility preservation decision aid in parents and child adolescents and young adults (CAYA) cancer survivors
We are inviting young adults and parents to take part in a project that is aiming to develop useful web-based information for young people who received cancer treatment when they were under 25 years of age, on reproductive health after treatment (puberty and development, fertility and sexual health).
We want to understand whether the information we’ve developed helps young people make informed decision about their reproductive health.
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iSTEPPP-ANZ
Implementing the Standards Together: Engaging Parents and Providers in Psychosocial Care in Australia and New Zealand (iSTEPPP-ANZ).
The iSTEPPP-ANZ study aims to assess how well these standards are being implemented in paediatric centres across Australia and New Zealand. In collaboration with healthcare providers and parent carers, we also aim to identify five priority Psychosocial Standards to guide future health service initiatives.
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LotusLab
LotusLab: A digital app solution to improve access to information and clinical trials following childhood cancer. LotusLab aims to help families through this time by providing information about childhood cancer experiences and answering questions about life after treatment. The app includes a library of topics, useful links, informative videos and a section for personal documents like a Treatment Summary and Surveillance Roadmap.
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MET-MED Study
This study is seeking to understand if a drug called Metformin can be used to improve thinking skills and promote white matter growth in children that have been previously treated for medulloblastoma (brain tumour).
Read more...Funding
Thank you to our generous supporters.
- Cancer Council Victoria
- Medical Research Future Fund
- National Institutes of Health
- Victorian Cancer Agency
- Royal Children's Hospital Foundation
- My Room Children’s Cancer Charity
Collaborations
We partner with leading institutions worldwide, including:
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Queensland Children’s Hospital
- The Hospital for Sick Children
- Texas Children’s Hospital
- Princes Maxima Centre
- Nemours Children’s Health
- St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Featured publications
Premaratne G, McCarthy M, Tennant M, Downie P, Hearps S, De Luca C. Health-related Quality of Life in children and adolescents treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), compared with healthy peers: a longitudinal study of early survivorship. J Cancer Surviv. 2024 Dec 26. doi: 10.1007/s11764-024-01736-7
Walsh S, Mulraney M, McCarthy MC, De Luca CR. Fatigue in children who have recently completed treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a longitudinal study. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2024 Mar 22;22(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12955-024-02241-2
Plummer K, McCarthy M, McKenzie I, Newall F, Manias E. Experiences of Pain in Hospitalized Children During Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Therapy. Qual Health Res. 2021 Oct;31(12):2247-2259. doi: 10.1177/10497323211034161.
Tennant M, Anderson N, Youssef GJ, McMillan L, Thorson R, Wheeler G, McCarthy MC. Effects of immersive virtual reality exposure in preparing pediatric oncology patients for radiation therapy. Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2021 Jul 8;19:18-25. doi: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2021.06.001.
De Abreu Lourenco R, McCarthy MC, McMillan LJ, Sullivan M, Gillam L. Understanding decisions to participate in genomic medicine in children's cancer care: A comparison of what influences parents, health care providers, and the general community. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021 Aug;68(8):e29101. doi: 10.1002/pbc.29101
Muscara F, McCarthy MC, Hearps SJC, Nicholson JM, Burke K, Dimovski A, Darling S, Rayner M, Anderson VA. Featured Article: Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Parents of Children With a Serious Childhood Illness or Injury. J Pediatr Psychol. 2018 Nov 1;43(10):1072-1082. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsy035
Lee J, Gillam L, Visvanathan K, Hansford JR, McCarthy MC. Clinical Utility of Precision Medicine in Pediatric Oncology: A Systematic Review. JCO Precis Oncol. 2021 Nov;5:1088-1102. doi: 10.1200/PO.20.00405
Muscara F, McCarthy MC, Rayner M, Nicholson JM, Dimovski A, McMillan L, Hearps SJC, Yamada J, Burke K, Walser R, Anderson VA. Effect of a Videoconference-Based Online Group Intervention for Traumatic Stress in Parents of Children With Life-threatening Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Jul 1;3(7):e208507. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.8507
Oyefiade A, Paltin I, De Luca CR, Hardy KK, Grosshans DR, Chintagumpala M, Mabbott DJ, Kahalley, LS. (2021). Cognitive risk in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Journal of Clinical Oncology 39 (16) 1718-1726, DOI: 10.1200/JCO.20.02338
Darling, S., De Luca, C., Anderson, V., McCarthy, M., Hearps, S.J.C. & Seal, M. White matter microstructure and information processing at the completion of chemotherapy-only treatment for pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Developmental Neuropsychology. (2018). 43(1);1-18