"I just wanted to be the kid": adolescent girls' experiences of having a parent with cancer.

This pilot study explored the experiences of three young women who were adolescents when a parent was diagnosed with cancer. Semi-structured, individual interviews with these youths were used to discuss ways that they and their families were affected by cancer, as well as changes that may have made their experience more manageable. A thematic analysis revealed that, as adolescents, the girls responded to the cancer diagnosis by making their family a primary focus, and that this focus had positive and negative consequences for their development. They also highlighted several ways that parents and others can assist adolescents as they cope with this situation.