There are children who do not respond to treatment and unfortunately the disease may take their life. If it
appears that this is going to happen, the child's physician will be the first to explain to the parents the nature
of the problem and the reason why it looks as though the child is not going to have his or her life saved. The
health care team will make sure that the child is comfortable and treated in a humane, caring manner. The
physician and other members of the multidisciplinary team will work with the family to provide emotional,
psychological and spiritual support.
"Climbing the Mountain"
For the child with cancer and his or her parents there are two basic choices. They can choose the pessimistic road, which goes downhill and expects that the cancer will cause the child to die. They can choose the optimistic road, an admittedly uphill road leading to the top of a mountain.
The curves in the mountain road are many. They are the many problems that have to be handled during treatment, which may include:
• Recurrent admission to the hospital for fevers and infections requiring intravenous antibiotics.
• Side effects of chemotherapy such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, stomach ulcers, blood in the
urine and rectal ulcers.
• Side effects of radiation therapy such as hair loss, skin irritation, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
• Side effects of surgery including discomfort and organs that do not work in a normal way.
