Families with children diagnosed with cancer used various strategies to create a new normal routine
Question What is the process of adaptation of families with children who are diagnosed with cancer?
Design
Grounded theory.
Setting
A university based paediatric oncology service in the US.
Participants
32 family members (7 mothers, 7 fathers, 6 ill children, and 12 siblings) from 7 families with children diagnosed within the previous 7–30 days with any type of cancer which had a favourable prognosis (expected 5 y survival rate ≥60%). A 2 year old child with cancer was not interviewed. All were 2 parent families from rural communities, typically white, Protestant, and had an average of 3 children. The children with cancer had leukaemia or lymphoma and were 2–11 years old.
Methods
Semistructured home interviews were conducted within 1 week of diagnosis, within 1 week of confirmed remission, and 3 …
