The current state and future direction of childcare for cancer patients: a narrative review

Abstract

Purpose: One in four patients diagnosed with cancer are parents to dependent children. For these patients, childcare services are needed to overcome the time demands of cancer treatment. Despite the childcare support needs and its potential impact on treatment outcomes, targeted childcare services for cancer patients remain limited. This review highlights the state of childcare services and strategies to address the current chasm in childcare for parents diagnosed with cancer. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase was conducted and 77 studies in the English Language on Childcare services for parents with cancer published between January 1990 and May 2024 were identified and reviewed. Findings. The burden of cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment imposes physical, psychological, financial, and time constraints on cancer patients with young dependents. Many cancer patients with children miss treatment appointments and encounter treatment delays due to challenges with childcare. Limited access to childcare is further exacerbated by the financial and time toxicities of cancer and unconventional treatment needs such as emergency department visits, fatigue, and other complications of cancer treatment. So far, only one cancer-center-linked childcare program exists in the U.S., highlighting the scale of unmet need for childcare support in cancer patients. Conclusion: and relevance. Providing non-traditional childcare services, home-based or hospital-based childcare structures, and financial assistance through medical institutions, professional organizations, insurance payers, and government-funded programs could bridge the current gap in childcare needs for parents with a cancer diagnosis.