Cancer That Isn't Just Mine: The Reciprocal Influence Between the Oncological Process and Family Support in Pediatric Cancer A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies cancer as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Pediatric cancer, which affects children aged 0 to 19 years, is considered rare compared to adult cancer among those studied. It presents a high rate of late diagnosis, conditioned by multiple variables, generating a more challenging oncological process for the survival of the child or adolescent and their family, with significant impacts in the psycho-emotional, physical, social, and financial spheres. This reality is even more critical in low- and middle-income countries, where the survival rate is 20%. This integrative review synthesizes mostly recent scientific evidence (2020-2025) with the aim of understanding, within this challenging context, how children or adolescents with cancer are affected by the reciprocal changes between the psycho-emotional dynamics and structure of their supporting family and the oncological process (diagnosis, treatment, and survival). Although the findings did not directly answer the central question of the study, they highlighted crucial aspects for the positive evolution of the current situation, such as continuous psychosocial support and the implementation of early intervention strategies from diagnosis onwards, aiming to mitigate suffering and promote an improvement in the quality of life of the sick child or adolescent and their entire family.