Talking to your child or teen about having a solid tumor
Helping your child or teen understand what a solid tumor is can help him or her cope better with
treatment. It is important to tell your child about the tumor and answer questions in honest, simple
terms. If you do not give your child the facts in words he or she can understand, the child’s own
thoughts can often be scarier than the truth.
Many different staff members will be involved in helping your child understand his or her disease
and treatments. A certified child life specialist is one of the team members who will work closely with
your family. Throughout your stay at the hospital, this staff member can help the patient and his or her
brothers and sisters understand about treatment and adjust to being in the hospital.
The following ideas may help you talk with your child about a solid tumor. We suggest that parents use
the words “cancer” and “tumor” openly with their child. It will help him or her become more familiar
with the words and feel more at ease when asking questions.
Using words that your child will understand
Verbal Toddler: Use words your child knows such as “boo-boo” or “owie.” Point to the area of your
child’s body where the tumor is located. It is OK to say the words “cancer” and “tumor” around your
toddler. This will help your child feel more at ease when people use these words around him or her.
Preschooler: Again, using the words “cancer” and “tumor” will help your preschooler become more
familiar with the words. At this age, it may be helpful to explain it this way: “Inside your ____________
____________is sick.” Name the area where the tumor is growing, for example: “Inside your tummy is
sick.”
Early School-Age: A school-age child who has not learned about cells may understand if you say, “A
lump that is sick grew inside your body, and it is not supposed to be there.” Be sure to state where the
tumor is in the body.
School-Age: Many children at this age have begun learning about cells. You may want to explain that a
tumor is made up of “a group of sick cells that are all lumped together.”
Teens: At this age, your teen may want to sit in on talks with the doctor to hear about the tumor and
treatment in-depth. But, it is still important to talk about the things that are said during these discussions.
As with all ages, use the correct terms for the illness and treatments.
Keep in mind
Talking about your child’s illness can bring up many questions. Talking freely about coming to the
hospital and about treatment can help him or her to cope.
At all age levels, it is important to assure your child that the illness is not contagious; he or she cannot
give it to anyone or get it from anyone else. Also, this illness is not a punishment; nothing your child did
or did not do could have made this illness happen.
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Your child may have a family member or friend who has had cancer or may have heard stories about
cancer. For this reason, it would be good to tell him or her that there are many types of cancer. Cancer
can be in different parts of the body, and each person’s cancer is different. Each cancer patient takes
different kinds of medicines that work best for that person’s cancer and body type.
If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your child’s doctor or nurse coordinator.
Adapted with permission from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Revised 6/05
UC Davis Cancer Center 12/06
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