Ostracism in Adolescent Cancer Patients and Predictors (OSTRACA Study): A Pilot Study of the Palliative Care Working Committee of the Turkish Oncology Group (TOG)

Ostracism is defined as being ignored or excluded by others. The purpose of the study is to evaluate ostracism in adolescent cancer patients and to determine the predictors of it. Adolescent cancer survivors were evaluated. Turkish version of the Ostracism Experience Scale for Adolescents (OES-A) and Kutcher adolescent depression scale (KADS) were used. In addition, a control cohort of adolescents without cancer was evaluated for comparison. Between December 2017 and April 2018, 52 patients were evaluated in 4 different cancer centers. The median OES-A score was higher in the study population when compared with the control cohort (23.5 vs 19.0, p=0.04). In MRA, being female was associated with high OES-A scores (OR: 7.8, CI (95%) 1.4-42.9, p=0.018). In multiple regression analysis, being female was linked to higher OES-A scores (OR: 7.4, 95% CI: 1.3-41.1, p=0.023). Being a university student (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.03-0.84, p=0.036) and being actively employed (OR: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.008-0.79, p=0.031) were associated with lower OES-A scores. Higher OES-A scores were related to high KADS scores (9.0 vs 7.5, p=0.16). Adolescent cancer patients are more ostracized when compared with adolescents without cancer. While the female gender was associated with the risk of ostracism, working and being university students were protective. Ostracism in adolescent cancer patients should be studied in more extensive series.