BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38793.567801.AE, (Published 13 April 2006)

RESEARCH

Breast cancer in the family--children's perceptions of their mother's cancer and its initial treatment: qualitative study

Gillian Forrest ^1*, Caroline Plumb ¹, Sue Ziebland ², Alan Stein ¹

¹ Section of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Park Hospital for Children, Oxford OX3 7LQ
² Department of Primary Health Care, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LF

^* Correspondence to: gillian.forrest{at}psych.ox.ac.uk.

Objectives To explore how children of mothers newly diagnosed with breast cancer perceive their mother's illness and its initial treatment; to contrast their accounts with the mothers' perceptions of their children's knowledge.

Design Qualitative interview study with thematic analysis.

Setting Home based interviews with mothers and children in Oxfordshire, England.

Participants 37 mothers with early breast cancer and 31 of their children aged between 6 and 18 years.

Results Awareness of cancer as a life threatening illness existed even among most of the youngest children interviewed. Children described specific aspects of their mother's treatment as especially stressful (seeing her immediately postoperatively, chemotherapy, and hair loss). Children suspected that something was wrong even before they were told the diagnosis. Parents sometimes misunderstood their children's reactions and underestimated the emotional impact or did not recognise the children's need for more preparation and age appropriate information about the illness and its treatment.

Conclusions As part of their care, parents newly diagnosed with a life threatening illness need to be supported to think about how they will talk to their children. General practitioners and hospital specialists, as well as nurses, are well placed to be able to help with these concerns and if necessary to be involved in discussions with the children. The provision of appropriate information, including recommended websites, should be part of this care. More information specifically designed for young children is needed.

---

(Accepted 9 March 2006)
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    StumbleUpon    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Use of multiperspective qualitative interviews to understand patients’ and carers’ beliefs, experiences, and needs

Marilyn Kendall, Scott A Murray, Emma Carduff, Allison Worth, Fiona Harris, Anna Lloyd, Debbie Cavers, Liz Grant, Kirsty Boyd, and Aziz Sheikh
BMJ 2009 339: b4122. [Full Text]

Don't forget the children of newly diagnosed cancer patients
BMJ 2006 332: 0. [Full Text]

Depression and anxiety in women with early breast cancer: five year observational cohort study

Caroline Burgess, Victoria Cornelius, Sharon Love, Jill Graham, Michael Richards, and Amanda Ramirez
BMJ 2005 330: 702. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Telling children about a parent's cancer

Duncan Keeley
BMJ 2000 321: 462-463. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Qualitative interview study of communication between parents and children about maternal breast cancer

Jacqueline Barnes, Leanda Kroll, Olive Burke, Joanna Lee, Alison Jones, and Alan Stein
BMJ 2000 321: 479-482. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Cancer in parents: telling children

Leanda Kroll, Jacqueline Barnes, Alison L Jones, and Alan Stein
BMJ 1998 316: 880. [Extract] [Full Text]

Health and cancer prevention: knowledge and beliefs of children and young people

Ann Oakley, Gillian Bendelow, Josephine Barnes, Mary Buchanan, and O A Nasseem Husain
BMJ 1995 310: 1029-1033. [Abstract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kendall, M., Murray, S. A, Carduff, E., Worth, A., Harris, F., Lloyd, A., Cavers, D., Grant, L., Boyd, K., Sheikh, A. (2009). Use of multiperspective qualitative interviews to understand patients' and carers' beliefs, experiences, and needs. BMJ 339: b4122-b4122 [Full text]  
• Clarke, S.-A., Sheppard, L., Eiser, C. (2008). Mothers' Explanations of Communicating Past Health and Future Risks to Survivors of Childhood Cancer. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 13: 157-170 [Abstract]  
• McPherson, G. (2007). Children of mothers with breast cancer were distressed by hair loss; those >10 years of age wanted more information about their mother's condition. Evid. Based Nurs. 10: 29-29 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Bereavement and Palliative Care of Children with Mothers diagnosed with Cancer.

Noor-ul-Ain Mughal
bmj.com, 25 Apr 2006 [Full text]

Experiences of having a parent with cancer

Vida L Kennedy, et al.
bmj.com, 5 May 2006 [Full text]

Website support for teenagers when a parent has cancer

Hilde H Ahmedzai, et al.
bmj.com, 11 May 2006 [Full text]

Online poll

Find out more>>