This information is offered to help parents and loved ones of a child with cancer know about and cope with some of the problems that come up just after the child is diagnosed. Starting with its effect on parents, then moving on to the child with cancer and the other children in the family, we will discuss common emotional responses to the cancer and share some ideas for coping.

A note about families and parents: There are many kinds of families today. Single-parent families and blended families are common, and there may be trusted adults other than parents who are consistently involved in the daily lives of children. These adults may be very important to children, and often serve in parental and caregiving roles. A trusted adult who is involved in the daily life of the child with cancer (or the siblings of that child) may be greatly affected by the child's cancer, too, and may be key to the family's coping with it. When we use the word parent, it may also refer to one of these caregivers.