Group meetings are being used in increasing numbers in many divergent areas of patient care. A group for parents of children with acute leukemia was established in conjunction with a leukemia treatment program. The group met weekly and served as a means of problem identification and solution. Areas discussed were problems concerning patients, parents, siblings, friends, and the medical team. It also served as a forum for information dissemination.
It was found that in the management of leukemia in children, the group served as a strengthening of the family during crisis episodes. Discussions of death and dying were difficult, and the death of another parent's child was traumatic to all. However, the benefits of shared experiences outweighed these difficulties. Parents developed a better understanding of leukemia and its treatment and felt that their ability to cope with associated problems was enhanced. Both the families and staff felt the group was a valuable adjunct to the management of acute leukemia in children.
As far as the authors are able to determine this use of a group has not been reported in this form in leukemia management. The evaluation of the success of this group is largely subjective. It is hoped that others will employ the use of such a group and in larger numbers perhaps some degree of objectivity might be able to be developed to adequately evaluate the role of groups in leukemia clinics as well as other areas of medical practice.
THE ROLE OF CHEMICAL AGENTS IN THE GENESIS OF ACUTE LEUKEMIA IN CHILDREN
