Background: Knowledge of living with childhood cancer, through the trajectory, is sparse.

Aim: The aim of this study was to follow young children’s health and functioning in everyday life through their cancer trajectory.

Methods: Data were gathered longitudinally from a group of 13 young children and their parents connected to a pediatric oncology unit in Sweden. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth structure was used to identify difficulties in health and functioning in everyday life, in interview and questionnaire data. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed to show patterns of difficulty over a 3-year period from diagnosis.

Results: Difficulties experienced by children declined and changed over time. An increase in difficulties with personal interactions with others and access to and support from health care professionals was seen 2 to 3 years after diagnosis and start of treatment. Similar patterns are seen within individual children’s trajectories in relation to diagnosis but individual patterns were seen for each child.

Conclusions and Clinical Implications: Health care professionals need to plan for ongoing contact with school services and information and support pathways, beyond the treatment period. A person-centered philosophy of care is required throughout the cancer trajectory.

The body of research-based knowledge in paediatric caring science has been increasing leading to dramaticimprovements in treatment. The purpose of this manuscript was to analyze results as stated by the researchers', inrecently published articles on nursing and psychosocial research, within Swedish pediatric oncology setting. Thiswas done through a review of 137 published articles about paediatric oncology related to caring science in Sweden.The result shows that the illness has affected, in both positive and negative ways, the wellbeing of everyone cominginto contact with the child. The cancer also causes distress related to all aspects of life including physical,psychological, existential and social. Mediating factors for the experience of distress and wellbeing are: disease andtreatment severity, age, gender and ethnicity of the participant, time since diagnosis, the use of internal and externalsupport, and the identity of the person reporting the data. Health promoting aspects frequently reported are: familytogetherness, coping strategies, engaging in normal life and activities, and quality of care which includes emotionalsupport, information and family participation in care. The hospital staff has to be aware of the psychosocial issuesexperienced by children with cancer and their families, and they have to acknowledge the value of formalinterventions, reporting benefits for children, families, and themselves.