RATIONALE: Using an Internet Web site that enables children with cancer to interact online with classmates, participate in classroom activities, get easy-to-read medical information, and chat with family members, medical staff, and other children with cancer may help children cope with isolation, fear, and decreased self-esteem.

PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the effectiveness of an Internet Web site in providing social support and education to children who are undergoing treatment for cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Develop an Internet-based application that allows pediatric patients with cancer to enter a virtual community with the following capabilities:

  • Interact with classmates and participate in classroom activities via e-mail, chat groups, online field trips, art studio, music room, and game room
  • Identify and interact with a community of peers with similar medical conditions
  • Access a dictionary to get medical information in understandable terms
  • Interact with the medical community online
  • Interact with family members online

• Determine the acceptability of this program among groups of these patients and their classmates, teachers, family members, and healthcare providers using focus groups.

• Determine the effect of this program on self-esteem, coping behaviors, perceived social support, cancer-relevant medical knowledge, and feelings of control over health destiny in these patients.

• Determine the effect of this program on the performance of these patients in school.

• Determine the effect of this program in alleviating psychological distress in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

• Phase I: Students, family members, teachers, and health providers participate in focus groups to provide system design and implementation input and to assess overall acceptability of a prototype Internet-based application for pediatric cancer patients.

• Phase II: Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 groups, based on participating center.

  • Group 1: Patients have access to and utilize the Internet-based application @neWorld.
  • Group 2: Patients do not have access to or utilize @neWorld. In both groups, patients complete questionnaires measuring psychological distress, quality of life, self-esteem, coping behaviors, perceived academic and social competence, perceived social support, cancer-relevant medical knowledge, feelings of control over health destiny, utilization of psychological services, and performance in school at baseline and 3 and 6 months.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 94 patients (44 for group 1 and 50 for group 2) will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of cancer
• Currently receiving treatment for cancer

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 10 to 15

Performance status

• Active

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Not specified

Hepatic

• Not specified

Renal

• Not specified

Other

• Able to read and speak English

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Not specified

Surgery

• Not specified