When a brother or sister is dying of cancer: The vulnerability of the adolescent sibling

Very little attention has been paid in the literature to the reactions of adolescent siblings to illness and death in childhood cancer. Society expects that adolescents are more mature and better equipped than their younger counterparts to handle death and grief. The writers believe that the stress of cancer may distort the ability of adolescent siblings to cope, thus making them vulnerable to emotional turmoil and disruption of social and family relationships. They explore the impact of childhood cancer on adolescent siblings during the course of the disease and bereavement and provide an indepth analysis of two cases to support their thesis. The article closes with guidelines for caregivers in helping these siblings and their parents. The writers conclude that if an open, honest and trusting relationship is established with all family members early in a child's illness, Adolescent siblings will not be overlooked, their vulnerability will be lessened and serious sequelae can be prevented.