This article describes the long-term impact of childhood brain tumours on eight families, using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. Two major themes emerged from the data: the impact of the illness and treatment on the child’s current functioning, and how parents live day-to-day with the threat of future relapse or further long-term physical and psychological complications. A number of subcategories emerged from these themes, including the difficulties obtaining special educational needs, the manner in which children overcame their physical limitations and the problems caused by peer exclusion and bullying. In discussing the way in which parents and children cope with the problems caused by the tumour, and the possible clinical implications that have emerged from the data, we have drawn upon a number of theoretical concepts, derived from discrepancy theory and coping theory.
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