“How Do I Tell My Children I Have Cancer?” Disclosing a Cancer Diagnosis to School-Aged Children: A Qualitative Study

Parents who are diagnosed with cancer are faced with difficult decisions related to how, when, and how much to tell their children. Most literature supporting such parents focuses on communication processes after the cancer is disclosed. Knowledge about processes that parents go through to prepare for disclosure conversations with their children is scarce. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants who were diagnosed with breast cancer. Mothers described how they prepared for the disclosure conversation, ways that cancer was discussed with their children, and what factors would help them in this process. Implications for clinical and medical providers are presented and discussed.