[Psychological management of children with cancer and their families].

A psychologist's different working fields in a children's cancer center are represented using the empiric datas of basic documentary material. The kind of psychological care was adapted to the individual requirements of the patients and their families. In most of the parents a low- or medium-grade support was adequate to their needs (40 per cent and 49 per cent). Only some families with severe problems needed more intensive psychological care (11 per cent). 58 per cent of the patients themselves were contacted. 46 per cent of them then required a more intensive psychological care. The list of topics - as coping with the disease and the therapy (49 per cent), behaviour problems resulting from the disease - and therapy - related circumstances (26 per cent), family problems (21 per cent) late effects and rehabilitation (14 per cent), specific problems resulting from the troubles in interaction and communication often seen on oncologic floors (5 per cent) - and the kind of psychological interventions - as primary contacts (11 per cent), supportive care (37 per cent), crisis oriented individual sessions (5 per cent), educational advice (14 per cent) and consultations in familiary problems (33 per cent) - show the different fields and posibilities of psychological care. The evaluation of all datas shows that in most cases supportive psychosocial care of the patients and their families was sufficient. Some specific problems - as individual troubles of the parents, conflicts in partnership, problems with the siblings, and difficulties in social contacts - gain more importance with the permanence of the disease - related stress. In these case specific psychological intervention becomes very important.