Caring for Families of People with Cancer Evidence and Interventions

Abstract

When an individual is diagnosed with cancer, the impact reverberates through the family touching all members. Family members confront uncertainties about the meaning of the diagnosis, the prognosis of the patient and the patient's needs for care and support. Family members are often required to manage physical care changes and arrangements and practical difficulties with daily living, while they handle their own emotional distress about the patient's care and concerns about the future.