title: Parental separation and pediatric cancer: a Danish cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the risk for separation (ending cohabitation) of the parents of a child with a diagnosis of cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a nationwide cohort, we compared the risk for ending cohabitation of the parents of 2450 children (aged 0-20 years) given a diagnosis of cancer with the risk of parents of 44 853 randomly selected, gender- and age-matched cancer-free children. We adjusted for socioeconomic position and demographic factors. Rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals for separation were estimated in a Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The parents of children with cancer did not have a higher risk for separation than the general population (rate ratio: 1.00 [95% confidence interval: 0.91-1.10]). Separate analyses according to type of cancer and survival of the child similarly yielded null results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Experiencing cancer in a child does not seem to be a risk factor for separation. Our study will allow clinicians to reassure parents and to support them in facing the trauma of cancer in their child.
authors.affiliation: Survivorship, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Kathrine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carlsen
authors.forename: Pernille Envold
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bidstrup
authors.forename: Gro Samsø
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Bastian
authors.forename: Lasse Wegener
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Susanne Oksbjerg
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark; D004243:Divorce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult