EXPERIÊNCIA DE FAMÍLIAS FRENTE À REVELAÇÃO DO DIAGNÓSTICO DE CÂNCER EM UM DE SEUS INTEGRANTES EXPERIENCE OF FAMILIES FACING THE REVELATION OF THE CANCER DIAGNOSIS IN ONE OF ITS INTEGRANTS EXPERIENCIA DE FAMILIAS ANTE LA REVELACIÓN DEL DIAGNÓSTICO DE CÁNCER EN UNO DE

This study aimed to understand the experience of families facing a diagnosis of cancer among one of the family members. This was a field research, descriptive and qualitative, involving twelve family of ten patients who were undergoing treatment in the outpatient chemotherapy section of a teaching hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Based on the results, data were organized two thematic categories: the impact of being given the diagnosis of cancer, and the feelings it provoked. We concluded that a diagnosis of cancer is a difficult experience, and not always unexpected by families.