The literature from 1944 to the present on psychological and social issues relating to treating children with cancer is reviewed from the standpoint of the child, the family, and health caregivers. The general transition from a “protective” to an “open” approach in discussing the possibility of death with the child cancer patient over four is traced. The importance of family communication in facilitating mourning is becoming clear. Family reactions appear to be changing somewhat, now that the survival of the child as long as five years after diagnosis is becoming more common. Failure of communication between the patient, the family, and health caregivers has emerged as a key problem in treating the pediatric cancer patient.
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Gogan et al. (1977) studied this question.