Congratulations to principal investigators Cheryl Rodgers (recently deceased) and Marilyn Hockenberry who has received an award for their NIH R13 proposal entitled "Symptom Assessment during Childhood Cancer Treatment: State of the Science Symposium." This award will fund a one-day scientific symposium to bring together experts within pediatric oncology and symptom science in order to develop consensus-based practice recommendations for symptom assessment and to prioritize symptom-related research questions.

This proposal provides a unique opportunity for convening a scientific symposium that brings together clinical and research experts; we will leverage the ongoing programs of symptom research among nurse researchers and the experience among COG clinicians and patient advocates to stimulating dialogue, discussion, and expert consensus-building regarding symptom assessment and symptom research in pediatric oncology. The expert consensus developed during the symposium will result in dissemination of best practice recommendations that will lay the groundwork for practice change and prioritize future symptom research for children diagnosed with cancer. Early identification of symptoms and children at risk for worse symptoms will allow prompt implementation of interventions to mitigate symptoms. Identifying best practices for symptom assessment has the potential to significantly reduce symptom distress and improve prognosis and quality of life for children receiving cancer treatment.