title: Returning to School After Adolescent Cancer: A Qualitative Examination of Australian Survivors' and Their Families' Perspectives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine key factors related to adolescent cancer survivors' return to school after cancer treatment completion, which can be a time of complex transition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 adolescent cancer survivors (mean age 16.1 years), 21 mothers, 15 fathers, and 15 siblings from 22 Australian families. The conceptual framework of Miles and Huberman (1994) was employed to analyze interview data and emergent themes were organized using the software package QSR NVivo 8.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Barriers to successful school re-entry included symptoms of fatigue, anxiety (particularly regarding examinations), and poor communication between families and the broader school community. Changing grade or school typically extinguished pre-existing support networks and was perceived by parents as a period of unmet need. Support from friends, teachers, tutors, and the hospital outreach nurse were seen as instrumental in creating a positive school re-entry experience. However, the majority of participants reported that support from the school counselor was minimal. Siblings reported this period as relatively non-impactful regarding their own education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional support is needed to help parents navigate the education system and to advocate effectively for their child's academic needs beyond the immediate re-entry period. There is strong potential for school counselors to increase the level of support they provide adolescents and their parents during the school re-entry period. The impact of this period on siblings' education is under-studied and warrants further research.
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, Sydney Children's Hospital , Randwick, New South Wales, Australia .|2 School of Women and Children's Health, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .
authors.forename: Jordana K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: McLoone
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, Sydney Children's Hospital , Randwick, New South Wales, Australia .|2 School of Women and Children's Health, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Wakefield
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Psychology, University of Sydney , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Butow
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, Sydney Children's Hospital , Randwick, New South Wales, Australia .|2 School of Women and Children's Health, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .
authors.forename: Catharine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, Sydney Children's Hospital , Randwick, New South Wales, Australia .|2 School of Women and Children's Health, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia .
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cohn