Somatic symptoms in children who have a parent with cancer: A systematic review.

Children in families with parental cancer may present with somatic complaints, but the prevalence and significance is not possible to estimate due to very sparse research in this area. Health professionals or counselling providers should not overlook this possible sign of distress. Qualitative studies report significant health anxiety in these children; this may represent a specific topic for counselling in this population. Targeted studies are needed to evaluate the prevalence and significance of somatic symptoms, and especially vulnerable groups need to be identified.