Respecting privacy

Some people wish to keep their cancer diagnosis private. There can be a number of reasons for this:

• Students may see school as a place to be themselves and carry on with life as normal. Because fitting in with peers can be so important, they may want to minimise anything that makes them seem different.
• Parents or family members may want to avoid gossip or probing questions. Sometimes they need more time to talk to relatives or decide on treatment.
• A colleague with cancer may want to continue working and focus on their day-to-day activities, or they may wish to keep their diagnosis private until they know how it will affect their work schedule.
• Some teachers worry that their students are too young to understand cancer.

These are legitimate concerns, and people’s rights should be respected. Unless there are overriding health and safety issues, the person with cancer or their parent must give consent before anyone is told about the diagnosis.

In most cases, however, it will be easier for both the person with cancer and the school if at least key staff are aware of the diagnosis. An informed teacher can accommodate the person’s needs; anticipate questions from students, colleagues or families; and help to distribute information (if consent has been given).

The reality is that even very young students have heard of cancer. Open and honest conversation about cancer reduces the risk of confusion and anxiety and helps children of all ages understand. Being open about the diagnosis can also reduce the chance of gossip and misinformation circulating around the school community, particularly if treatment leads to changes in someone’s appearance (e.g. hair loss, amputation).

Any member of the school community who is provided with personal information about a student, student’s family or staff member, needs to treat the information sensitively and confidentially.

I didn’t want to share my diagnosis with everyone. Mum and I are both really private. I didn’t want people to treat me differently.

– Read more of Emma’s story

→ READ MORE: Appointing a school liaison person

Podcast: Explaining Cancer to Kids

Listen to more episodes from our podcast for people affected by cancer