An Integrative Review of Sibling Responses to Childhood Cancer

Topic: Siblings of children with cancer experience extraordinary responses and changes to their lives over the course of their family's cancer journey.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to conduct an integrative literature review to synthesize and analyze relevant findings related to the siblings' experiences of childhood cancer.

Sources Used: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were searched using the key terms: "sibling*" AND "pediatric*" AND "cancer" AND "experienc*" OR "experience*." Inclusion criteria for this review were research studies focused on sibling responses to having a brother or sister with cancer, published in English between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017.

Conclusions: Siblings of children with cancer experience many changes to their emotions, relationships, family and home life, school life, and extracurricular activities. They have specific needs and desires including the need for information. Whereas they undergo many changes during the cancer journey, siblings often demonstrate resilience and personal growth and find ways to problem-solve and cope.