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Home > About childhood cancer > For parents >Many families have told us that information is key after their child is diagnosed with cancer. This is completely natural. However, it’s not always easy to take in the information your child’s doctor gives you.
Knowing what to expect
Parents also tell us that they need to know what to expect. So that they can prepare – for the best or the worst. The most difficult thing, they tell us, is dealing with the uncertainty. That’s why so many parents turn to the internet.
Where to start
If you type the name of your child’s cancer into a search engine you will get a long list of results. This can be daunting. Where do you start? Which websites can you trust? What do treatment and recovery rates mean for your child?
Making predictions
It’s important to remember that different cancers affect different people in different ways. It’s almost impossible to predict what course your child’s cancer will take, no matter how much internet research you do.
If you are feeling confused, try going back to your child’s consultant or nurse and asking them to explain things again. They’ll be happy to help you.
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Before you start:
- Think about how you’ll feel if you read something you don’t like.
- Ask your child’s doctor, nurse or social worker to suggest suitable sites.
- Consider giving the task of internet research to a trusted family member who isn’t as closely involved. They may be able to filter and balance the information better.
- Be conscious that you are more likely to remember the negative things than the positive ones.
- You may find reading difficult material with a trusted loved one less traumatic than reading it alone.
If you do research on the internet, try to:
- Limit the time you spend online.
- Visit official websites, such as those run by registered UK cancer charities like CLIC Sargent, Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support, or by the NHS.
- Check that any research has been published in a proper medical journal.
- Remember that claims of miracle cures or treatments may not be backed up by proper research.
- Check the date of any research to make sure it is up to date.
- Remember that all numbers and statistics are open to interpretation.