The Cancer That Isn't Just Mine... The Reciprocal Influence Between the Oncological Process and Family Support in Pediatric Cancer

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies cancer as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Pediatric cancer, which affects individuals aged 0 to 19 years, is considered rare compared to adult cancer, presenting a high rate of late diagnosis influenced by multiple variables. This makes the oncological process more challenging for the survival of the child or adolescent and for their family, with significant psycho-emotional, physical, social, and financial impacts. This reality is even more critical in low- and middle-income countries, where the survival rate is 20%. This integrative review synthesizes mostly recent scientific evidence (2020–2024) with the aim of understanding how children or adolescents with cancer are affected by the reciprocal changes between the psycho-emotional dynamics and structure of the supporting family and the oncological process (diagnosis, treatment, and survival). Although the findings did not directly answer the central research question, they highlighted crucial aspects for positive progress, such as continuous psychosocial support and the implementation of early intervention strategies from the time of diagnosis, with the goal of reducing suffering and improving the quality of life of the child or adolescent with cancer and their entire family.