My son has cancer

This book explains the final project for a degree in Psychology. The researcher's interest in oncology grew through her experience with children hospitalised in the paediatric haematology-oncology ward of a hospital in southern Brazil. During the period in which she experienced the theme of cancer and its repercussions on those affected by the disease, as well as those who acted as caregivers, she encountered the difficulty many parents had in revealing the cancer diagnosis to their children. It is essential to understand that there are diverse and unique ways of interpreting and understanding what is happening to oneself and/or to a close relative who is ill. However, when the family is well informed, the effects of the disease are less harmful, as parents will know how to handle the situation in the best possible way so that it is not so painful for the child. In view of the issues presented, the diagnosis constitutes a period of turmoil, fears, conflicting feelings, pain and uncertainty and, therefore, deserves to be highlighted in the process of elaboration and meaning of the disease, which is the focus of this study.