Emotional Repercussions of Grandparents Facing the Illness and Treatment of Cancer in Pediatric Oncology at a Reference Hospital.

Childhood cancer, especially leukemias and central nervous system tumors, deeply impacts families, requiring important decisions during treatment. Parents, overwhelmed with increasing responsibilities, can rely on the crucial support of grandparents, both in providing significant emotional support and in actively participating in caring for their grandchildren, even if it affects their own daily activities and quality of life. Therefore, we sought to analyze the emotional repercussions of grandparents facing the illness and treatment of cancer. It was based on a qualitative cross-sectional study conducted at a reference hospital of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Pernambuco, Brazil, from December 2023 to February 2024. Data collection was performed through semi-structured and audio-recorded interviews, with participants' consent, transcribed in full, and analyzed using the Bardin technique. Five grandmothers participated in the study, all of them female, aged 52 to 68 years, with a mean age of 61.2 years. The study highlights the importance of grandparents in caring for their grandchildren, emphasizing the emotional challenges present in diagnosis and treatment.