Introduction
This guide was written for you-a parent of a young person with cancer. It
addresses some of the most common questions about cancer in the young, combining
medical information with practical suggestions. Special consideration is
given to the emotional impact of cancer on patients and family members.
This guide is designed to help you cope with the stress of a chronic disease
that entails rigorous treatment, frequent visits to the doctor and hospital,
interruptions in schooling and social activities, physical change, and perhaps
most frightening of all, uncertainty about the future.
Because cancer in adults and children actually involves over 100 distinct
diseases and no two patients or families are alike, this guide cannot address
every issue or situation that will arise. Instead, it provides a general
view of childhood cancer: what to expect from it and how to deal with it.
Direct specific questions to your family physician and/or other members
of the treatment team. If you want more information in special interest
areas, you may want to refer to the section entitled Sources of Information,
Support, and Assistance.
The terms used in this guide are those used by treatment team members when
talking about your child's disease or treatment. Some of these at first
may be unfamiliar to you. The glossary defines terms used in the guide and
others that might be used by your doctor or others involved in your child's
care.