Information on which symptoms most commonly afflict pediatric cancer patients during their final week and day of life is scant, and past studies have relied on written symptom checklists or chart reviews, rather than interviews.

Researchers at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, therefore, used a telephone-based, open-ended interview to capture all possible symptoms and get a clearer picture of what these patients face. They spoke with 65 parents of 52 children who'd died of cancer within the previous 6 – 10 months after receiving care at a pediatric cancer center. The interviews revealed 18 symptoms of concern that children experienced during their final week and day of life. Those most frequently reported at both times were changes in behavior, changes in appearance, pain, weakness/fatigue, and breathing changes.

The researchers hope that a better understanding of such patients' symptoms can produce more comforting end-of-life care strategies, which also may improve parents' psychological well-being in the months following their loss.