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Why do children with cancer feel pain differently? study compares pain sensitivity and activity

NCT ID NCT04004455

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Vrije Universiteit Brussel Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
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Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers compare children with cancer and healthy children to see how pain sensitivity, body composition, and physical activity differ. The study also looks at how parents respond to their child's pain. About 60 children aged 8 to 18 and their parents take part. The goal is to understand patterns that could inform supportive care during cancer treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If researchers find links between pain sensitivity, body composition, and activity levels, this could guide better supportive care for children undergoing cancer treatment.
What could go wrong
This is a small observational study of 60 children, so it cannot prove cause and effect. Findings may not apply to children with different cancer types or treatment regimens.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

60 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Aug 2019

Finished

Jun 2022

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Cancer patients will be recruited by the oncology department of the children's hospital of the University Hospital Brussels and Ghent. All eligibel children between 8-18y and their parents will be informed about the study and receive a consent form. Healthy controls will be recruited from several schools in the neighborhood and from family and acquaintances of the hospital personnel and researchers. In order to be able to compare their outcomes with the intervention group, they will be selected based on age and sex.

Ages

8 to 12 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: All participants: * Willing to participate and comply with pre-determined interventions * 8-18y (children) * Child and parent(s)/guardian cohabited for the past 5 years or, in case of divided custody, for at least half of the child's lifetime Cancer patients * Established cancer diagnosis (any type) * First cancer diagnosis * Currently being treated for cancer (not necessarily hospitalized) in the University Hospital Brussels or Ghent Exclusion Criteria: * Developmental disabilities (e.g.: autism spectrum disorder, Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder) * Psychiatric disorders (e.g.: anxiety disorder, personality disorder) * Significant vision or hearing impairment * Chronic pain diagnosis (e.g.: fibromyalgia, migraine, chronic abdominal pain, etc.) * Not able to read and speak fluent Dutch (parent and child) * Already having undergone any kind of self-regulation and/or behavioral therapy for pain (i.e. relaxation, hypnosis, biofeedback, pain neuroscience education, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

childhood malignant neoplasm neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Childhood cancer

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University Hospital Brussels

    Jette, Brussels Capital, 1090, Belgium

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