Parent Experiences of Childhood Cancer Diagnosis Process
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Parent and Carer Experiences of the Process of Obtaining Their Child’s Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study
IRAS ID
365477
Contact name
Megan Payne
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 29 days
Research summary
Research shows that many parents and carers find it understandably difficult when their child is being tested for cancer and receiving a diagnosis (Bekar et al., 2024; Christensen et al., 2023; Evans et al., 2015; Pedersen et al., 2020). However, most of this research has taken place outside the UK, where healthcare systems are different from the National Health Service (NHS). Since the COVID-19 pandemic, NHS services have also changed in important ways (Barclay et al., 2024; Lignou et al., 2022). This study aims to learn more about how families have experienced this process, and how it may have affected their experience of their child’s cancer treatment.
We will speak to 6–10 parents or carers of children who were diagnosed with cancer in the past three years. Families will be invited to take part by Clinical Psychologists, Doctors or Clinical Nurse Specialists at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and Addenbrookes Hospital. Alternativelty, they may be recruited via local cancer charities who will advertise the study by sharing posters such as via social media and mailing lists. If participants agree to take part, they will be interviewed online using Microsoft Teams. Each interview will last up to 90 minutes.
During the interview, we will ask parents or carers to talk about what happened before and during their child’s diagnosis, how they felt, and what this meant to them. We will look for patterns in what people say — including what was helpful, what was hard, and what could be improved.
By understanding how families experience this journey, we hope to help NHS services offer better support. This could make a difficult time feel more manageable and help parents and carers feel more confident and supported as they care for their child through treatment.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0080
Date of REC Opinion
10 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion