Determinants of cancer patients revealing their own cancers to minor children: A cross-sectional web-based survey in an online cancer community.

Abstract

23 Background: It is extremely stressful and difficult for cancer patients to tell their children that they had cancer. However, few small studies have been conducted to assess the characteristics of patients who told their children of their cancer. This study aimed to explore determinants of patients who revealed to their minor children that they had cancer. Methods: This was a sub-analysis of a cross-sectional web-based survey. Cancer patients with minor children were recruited from an online community and were asked to answer a questionnaire. Subjects diagnosed with cancer and whose eldest children were aged < 18 years were enrolled. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the determinants of patients who revealed to their minor children that they had cancer. Results: Overall, 313 subjects were eligible [19.2% male; mean age (SD), 42.1 years (5.57)]. The commonest primary cancer site was the breast (32.9%), followed by gynecological organs (12.1%) and colorectal region (11.2%). Among the patients, 218 (69.6%) revealed their cancer to their children. In a multivariate analysis, children’s age > 6 years significantly correlated with parents revealing to their children that they had cancer compared to children’s age < 6 years [children aged 12–17 years: odds ratio (OR), 27.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 9.52–77.93; p < 0.001; children aged 6–11 years: OR, 10.39; 95% CI, 4.53–23.86; p < 0.001]. In the subgroup analysis, children’s age, male patients with children aged 0–5 years (OR, 7.11; 95% CI, 1.14–44.22; p = 0.036), and female children aged 6–11 years (OR, 3.85; 95% CI, 1.1–13.51; p = 0.035) correlated with the parents revealing to their children that they had cancer. Conclusions: The decision to reveal parent’s cancer to minor children was affected by children’s age and gender of patients and their children.