Cancer in Young Adults: Through Parents' Eyes

The original inspiration for this book was George who died from osteosarcoma at the age of 23. During his illness his parents tried without success to access information on the life-stage issues that make life-threatening illness during young adulthood particularly difficult to manage. They could find no literature relating specifically to this problem and struggled throughout George's 4 years of living with cancer to cope with the additional problems faced by families in this situation. After his death they set up a research project to help other families facing these issues. This book is the outcome of that research. It is heavily based on the use of narrative material written by parents whose young adult children have been diagnosed with cancer. The book addresses issues such as sexuality and fertility, independence, the need for normality, the effect on siblings, the ownership of medical information, financial issues, the impact on the parents' partnership and the emotional consequences of the illness. It is designed to be of practical assistance both to parents and to health professionals involved with the care of young adults with cancer.