My child and cancer

When your child becomes unwell, it is understandable to worry that it could be cancer. Around 1,900 children (0-14 years old) in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year.

It is devastating to hear that your child has cancer and you will have many different feelings and emotions.

Going to school is vital for children with cancer. School helps them to feel 'normal', rebuild their confidence and reduce the isolation and loneliness which many children with cancer face.

Other family members such as grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles or other close family relatives often have reactions similar to those of parents and may struggle to deal with some of the same emotions.

For many parents, reaching the end of treatment can bring mixed emotions. This is the moment you have waited for since hearing your child’s diagnosis.

Sadly, sometimes parents are faced with the devastating news that there are no more treatment options available for their child which means that a cure is now no longer possible.

As one of over 45,000 survivors of childhood cancer now in the UK, it is important that you are offered the opportunity to understand your previous treatment and how it might impact your future health.

Doctors may use unfamiliar words that you don’t understand. Here are some of the most common ones explained (alphabetically).

If you are a parent or carer of a child with cancer, join our Facebook Parent and Carers Group.

A series of leaflets have been written by the CCLG Paediatric Oncology in Developing Countries (PODC) Group to offer basic information and practical advice to help those caring for a child when they are having treatment for cancer to give them the best…

This section provides advice and guidance on how widespread health concerns, e.g. coronavirus or measles, might affect children and young people with cancer.