An Analysis of Empirical Studies Examining the Impact of the Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment of an Adult on Family Functioning

The diagnosis of cancer is a family affair. Programs of research that evaluate the impact of the cancer diagnosis and treatment on thefamily system can be used to promote more effective physical and psychosocial adjustment of individual family members and the family as a whole. The purpose of this article is to describe an analysis of published empirical studies examining the impact of the cancer diagnosis and treatment of an adult on family functioning. The theoreticalframework, sample, the unit of analysis, measures, and selectedfindings are identified for each study. Feetham's criteriafor research offamilies are applied to evaluate the studies. Implicationsforfuture theory development and research are also presented.