Treatment of CNS Tumors in Childhood Slows Academic Readiness

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in early childhood is associated with slowed development of academic readiness, which predicts distal academic outcomes in reading and math, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Melanie R. Somekh, Ph.D., from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and colleagues examined academic readiness among 70 patients with newly diagnosed CNS tumors during early childhood in a prospective, longitudinal, multisite study. Patients were treated with chemotherapy, with or without photon or proton irradiation.

The researchers found that over time, mixed linear models revealed slowed development of academic readiness skills. At all time points, socioeconomic status was predictive of academic readiness. Compared with normative expectations, distal reading difficulties were proportionally greater, while there was no difference in math difficulties. Distal academic outcomes in reading and math were predicted by academic readiness.

"Findings regarding increased risk for slowed development of academic skills may inform caregiver education and provide meaningful insights for clinicians speaking with families about possible impacts of CNS tumor diagnosis and treatment on academic functioning amongst our youngest patients," the authors write. "Further, they highlight the need for close monitoring of academic readiness and the potential importance of implementing interventions targeting early academic skills in this population."

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