Distressing or draining treatmens
Physical and mental health are impacted
Stress and anxiety about their child’s cancer impacts parent’s mental health
Maternal identity is severed
Fear of cancer coming back (after treatment) or infection (during treatment)
Making sense of the diagnosis through religion
CANCER CONCERN
OWN NEEDS
Complex and overwhelming emotions
Bottled emotions re-surge later
Uncertainty about the future
The taboo of cancer heigthens devastation
Grief for previous life before cancer and anticipatory grief
Feeling cast-adrift after treatment ends
Change or breakdown in relationships
Lack of understanding from community
Initial support wanes - people get bored
Parents
IMPACTS ON PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER
Guilt for lack of time spent with other children
HOME LIFE
WIDER SOCIAL CIRCLE
Parents become overprotective of child with cancer
New support from other families with cancer
Self-isolation to protect from negative social experiences
Children
Guilt over punishing child with cancer
Need for re-location
Out-of-pocket costs
STAYS AWAY FROM HOME
WORK AND FINANCES
Loss of/worry about employment
Makeshift beds cause back pain
Limited access to nutritious food
The hospital becomes a 'safe place
Impact on career progression
Parents use of healthcare changes
Fear of cancer coming back (after treatment)
Use of tobacco, alcohol or drugs changes
Loss of control over child's health
Stress and anxiety about their child’s cancer impacts parent’s mental health
Finding the positives and hope
CANCER CONCERN
OWN NEEDS
Fear of missing symptoms when child is away from the hospital
Changes to faith and spirituality
Flashbacks of diagnosis and treatment
Grief for previous life before cancer and anticipatory grief
Uncertainty about the future
Change or breakdown in relationships
Lack of understanding from community
Changes to friendships
Parents
Family planning decisions
IMPACTS ON PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER
HOME LIFE
WIDER SOCIAL CIRCLE
Guilt for lack of time spent with other children
Feelings of isolation in social circles
Initial support wanes - people get bored
Children
Changes in relationships with other children and the child with cancer
Changes in parenting
Planning holidays and travel - limited access to travel insurance
Poor signal in hospitals can impact work - digital isolation
STAYS AWAY FROM HOME
WORK AND FINANCES
Makeshift beds impact sleep and cause back pain
Loss of/worry about employment
Limited access to nutritious food - changes in diet and weight
Association of hospital with good and bad memories
Impact on career progression
Decision fatigue
Financial security and access to benefits
Cancer Concern
Parents worry about their child's cancer and the effects of therapy, even after the end of treatment.
Hospital Stays
Parents found that simply being on the ward with their child while they received treatment and care for their cancer had an impact on them.
Impacts on Parents Caring for a Child with Cancer
This graphic summarises some of the key impacts that affect parents who are caring for a child with cancer. While there are similarities in what parents experience, we know that these impacts vary from person to person, and over time. We therefore consider that the concept of an 'average' impact is not meaningful, and will not capture the nuances that should be thought about when considering how best to support parents. Some of the key mediators that may impact the extent to which parents face these impacts include
Child's Cancer
- Diagnosis
- At diagnosis, in treatment or off-treatment
- Response to treatment
Setting dependent
- Availability of additional support from charities
- Relationship with medical team
- Type of ward (specialist oncology vs. general paediatric ward)
Individual Circumstances
- Individual differences/coping mechanisms
- Job and employment status
- Income/financial stability
- Family structure
Click on the magnifying glasses on the mindmap to see how the impacts can vary between people. Click on the quotation marks to see quotes from parents with experience of cancer.
Home Life
Family dynamics can change after diagnosis of childhood cancer, during treatment and in long-term.
Work and Finances
Parents face financial pressures both during treatment, but also after treatment finishes.
Wider Social Circle
Relationships with friends, and the wider community can change after a diagnosis of childhood cancer. Parents struggle to maintain these relationships.
Cancer Concern
Parents worry about their child's cancer and the effects of therapy, even after the end of treatment.
Own Needs
Parents often neglect their own needs, as they put caring for their child with cancer before themsevles.
Home Life
Family dynamics can change after diagnosis of childhood cancer, during treatment and in long-term.
Impacts on Parents Caring for a Child with Cancer
This graphic summarises some of the key impacts that affect parents who are caring for a child with cancer. While there are similarities in what parents experience, we know that these impacts vary from person to person, and over time. We therefore consider that the concept of an 'average' impact is not meaningful, and will not capture the nuances that should be thought about when considering how best to support parents. Some of the key mediators that may impact the extent to which parents face these impacts include
Child's Cancer
- Diagnosis
- At diagnosis, in treatment or off-treatment
- Response to treatment
Setting dependent
- Availability of additional support from charities
- Relationship with medical team
- Type of ward (specialist oncology vs. general paediatric ward)
Individual Circumstances
- Individual differences/coping mechanisms
- Job and employment status
- Income/financial stability
- Family structure
Click on the magnifying glasses on the mindmap to see how the impacts can vary between people. Click on the quotation marks to see quotes from parents with experience of cancer.
Wider Social Circle
Relationships with friends, and the wider community can change after a diagnosis of childhood cancer. Parents struggle to maintain these relationships.
Own Needs
Parents often neglect their own needs, as they put caring for their child with cancer before themsevles.
Work and Finances
Parents face financial pressures both during treatment, but also after treatment finishes.
Hospital Stays
Parents found that simply being on the ward with their child while they received treatment and care for their cancer had an impact on them.
TransitionV_PostQES - Parental Impacts Childhood Cancer TRANSITIONS
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Created on January 28, 2026
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Transcript
Distressing or draining treatmens
Physical and mental health are impacted
Stress and anxiety about their child’s cancer impacts parent’s mental health
Maternal identity is severed
Fear of cancer coming back (after treatment) or infection (during treatment)
Making sense of the diagnosis through religion
CANCER CONCERN
OWN NEEDS
Complex and overwhelming emotions
Bottled emotions re-surge later
Uncertainty about the future
The taboo of cancer heigthens devastation
Grief for previous life before cancer and anticipatory grief
Feeling cast-adrift after treatment ends
Change or breakdown in relationships
Lack of understanding from community
Initial support wanes - people get bored
Parents
IMPACTS ON PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER
Guilt for lack of time spent with other children
HOME LIFE
WIDER SOCIAL CIRCLE
Parents become overprotective of child with cancer
New support from other families with cancer
Self-isolation to protect from negative social experiences
Children
Guilt over punishing child with cancer
Need for re-location
Out-of-pocket costs
STAYS AWAY FROM HOME
WORK AND FINANCES
Loss of/worry about employment
Makeshift beds cause back pain
Limited access to nutritious food
The hospital becomes a 'safe place
Impact on career progression
Parents use of healthcare changes
Fear of cancer coming back (after treatment)
Use of tobacco, alcohol or drugs changes
Loss of control over child's health
Stress and anxiety about their child’s cancer impacts parent’s mental health
Finding the positives and hope
CANCER CONCERN
OWN NEEDS
Fear of missing symptoms when child is away from the hospital
Changes to faith and spirituality
Flashbacks of diagnosis and treatment
Grief for previous life before cancer and anticipatory grief
Uncertainty about the future
Change or breakdown in relationships
Lack of understanding from community
Changes to friendships
Parents
Family planning decisions
IMPACTS ON PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER
HOME LIFE
WIDER SOCIAL CIRCLE
Guilt for lack of time spent with other children
Feelings of isolation in social circles
Initial support wanes - people get bored
Children
Changes in relationships with other children and the child with cancer
Changes in parenting
Planning holidays and travel - limited access to travel insurance
Poor signal in hospitals can impact work - digital isolation
STAYS AWAY FROM HOME
WORK AND FINANCES
Makeshift beds impact sleep and cause back pain
Loss of/worry about employment
Limited access to nutritious food - changes in diet and weight
Association of hospital with good and bad memories
Impact on career progression
Decision fatigue
Financial security and access to benefits
Cancer Concern
Parents worry about their child's cancer and the effects of therapy, even after the end of treatment.
Hospital Stays
Parents found that simply being on the ward with their child while they received treatment and care for their cancer had an impact on them.
Impacts on Parents Caring for a Child with Cancer
This graphic summarises some of the key impacts that affect parents who are caring for a child with cancer. While there are similarities in what parents experience, we know that these impacts vary from person to person, and over time. We therefore consider that the concept of an 'average' impact is not meaningful, and will not capture the nuances that should be thought about when considering how best to support parents. Some of the key mediators that may impact the extent to which parents face these impacts include
Child's Cancer
Setting dependent
Individual Circumstances
Click on the magnifying glasses on the mindmap to see how the impacts can vary between people. Click on the quotation marks to see quotes from parents with experience of cancer.
Home Life
Family dynamics can change after diagnosis of childhood cancer, during treatment and in long-term.
Work and Finances
Parents face financial pressures both during treatment, but also after treatment finishes.
Wider Social Circle
Relationships with friends, and the wider community can change after a diagnosis of childhood cancer. Parents struggle to maintain these relationships.
Cancer Concern
Parents worry about their child's cancer and the effects of therapy, even after the end of treatment.
Own Needs
Parents often neglect their own needs, as they put caring for their child with cancer before themsevles.
Home Life
Family dynamics can change after diagnosis of childhood cancer, during treatment and in long-term.
Impacts on Parents Caring for a Child with Cancer
This graphic summarises some of the key impacts that affect parents who are caring for a child with cancer. While there are similarities in what parents experience, we know that these impacts vary from person to person, and over time. We therefore consider that the concept of an 'average' impact is not meaningful, and will not capture the nuances that should be thought about when considering how best to support parents. Some of the key mediators that may impact the extent to which parents face these impacts include
Child's Cancer
Setting dependent
Individual Circumstances
Click on the magnifying glasses on the mindmap to see how the impacts can vary between people. Click on the quotation marks to see quotes from parents with experience of cancer.
Wider Social Circle
Relationships with friends, and the wider community can change after a diagnosis of childhood cancer. Parents struggle to maintain these relationships.
Own Needs
Parents often neglect their own needs, as they put caring for their child with cancer before themsevles.
Work and Finances
Parents face financial pressures both during treatment, but also after treatment finishes.
Hospital Stays
Parents found that simply being on the ward with their child while they received treatment and care for their cancer had an impact on them.