Communicating with children about a parent's cancer: A document analysis of national cancer organization websites across 13 countries.

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize publicly available guidance on communicating with children about a parent's cancer from official national cancer organization websites.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative document analysis of eligible webpages and PDF resources identified through systematic Google and within-site searches. Thirteen eligible resources, each obtained from a national cancer organization website in a different country, were analyzed using the READ (Ready, Extract, Analyze, Distil) approach and conventional content analysis.

RESULTS

Six themes described why, when, and how to communicate; who should be involved; what information should be discussed; and how emotional support could be provided. The resources generally favored honest, developmentally appropriate communication, preparation for treatment-related and daily-life changes, and involvement of trusted family members and professionals when needed.

CONCLUSIONS

The study provides a structured thematic synthesis of publicly available guidance rather than a validated communication framework. All included resources were from Europe, North America, or Oceania, which limits transferability to other sociocultural settings. Further research should culturally adapt and empirically evaluate these strategies across disease stages, child developmental stages, and family structures.