A comparison of a novel neuropsychological screening tool with provider recommendations among pediatric cancer survivors

Purpose We compared a novel parent-report screening tool developed by the Clinical Neuropsychology Collaborative for Childhood Cancers, referred to as the CNC3 Caregiver Report Questionnaire (CNC3-CRQ), against clinician recommendations for identifying childhood cancer survivors (CCS) needing referral to neuropsychology services.Methods The CNC3-CRQ was administered to parents of CCS seen at a pediatric oncology survivorship clinic, with positive scores indicating need for referral to neuropsychology. CNC3-CRQ results as a cumulative variable and by individual neurocognitive domain were compared with clinically derived recommendations for referral to neuropsychology by their survivorship provider.Results Among 173 participants, 41% had a history of hematologic malignancy and 20% had a history of central nervous system tumor. The CNC3-CRQ yielded recommendation for referral to neuropsychology for 68.2% of patients. Provider recommendations for referral to neuropsychology were significantly associated with higher odds of a positive CNC3-CRQ cumulative screen (OR = 13.2, 95% CI 3.76-52.1, p Implications for cancer survivors The CNC3-CRQ may serve as a structured decision-support tool within clinics caring for CCS and may be particularly useful for those with less experience identifying neurocognitive late effects.