95% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or good
Learn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish.
Find out more
REVIEW article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Pediatric Oncology
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1582341
This article is part of the Research Topic Current Status and Future Directions of Pediatric Palliative Care in Oncology View all 8 articles
Needs, status and future directions in Palliative Care for children with cancer: an insight into the Italian situation
Provisionally accepted- 1 University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- 2 SC Cure Palliative e ADI, ASST Spedlai Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is an essential component of holistic care for children with cancer, addressing the physical, emotional, psychosocial and existential needs of children and their families. This narrative review explores the status, challenges, and future directions of PPC for children with cancer, specifically focusing on the Italian context. Despite advancements in legislation, such as Italy's Law 38/2010, access to PPC remains uneven, particularly in underserved regions. Children with cancer experience a high symptom burden, including pain, fatigue, and dyspnea, which is often inadequately managed due to late referrals and misconceptions equating PPC with end-of-life care. Organizational barriers, such as limited trained personnel and inadequate service models are linked to delayed integration. Physician discomfort, family resistance, and uncertainty regarding referral timing also contribute to delayed referral. International studies highlight regional disparities. However, opportunities for improvement exist, including workforce development, targeted education, and public awareness campaigns. Models of care, such as home-based services, telemedicine, and floating clinics, demonstrate potential for addressing gaps and optimizing resource allocation. Data from Italian centers further emphasize the importance of early PPC integration to improve outcomes, reduce unnecessary intensive care interventions, and ensure a better quality of life. This review underscores the need for tailored, multidisciplinary PPC models, proactive screening tools, and sustained policy support to ensure equitable and comprehensive care for all children with cancer.
Keywords: Pediatric palliative care, pediatric oncology, Early integration, Symptom Management, Healthcare models
Received: 24 Feb 2025; Accepted: 31 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chelazzi, Marelli, Franchi, Mantovani and Vezzoli. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Cosimo Chelazzi, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.