The right way

There's such a thing as cancer etiquette for parents. It's unwritten. And no-one explains it to you. But you do pick it up.

I was reminded of this whilst speaking to a noob parent yesterday.

DON'T say "will the child be alright?" There's rarely a clear answer. And the honest answer is probably not.
DO say "how is the child doing?" This keeps everything in the here and now, which is where we live day-by-day.

DON'T say "how is radiotherapy / chemo / surgery?" It's so variable for each child.
DO say "how did your child find radiotherapy / chemo / surgery?"

DON'T say "what have been your experiences since diagnosis?" It's too upsetting to go through the whole tragic story. Only doctors can get away with it.
DO say "when did you find out the child was ill?" This allows the parent to say as little or as much as they feel able.

DON'T say "was X treatment successful?" There probably isn't a clear answer to this one either.

DO say "are they (the doctors) pleased with how it's going?"

DON'T say "I'm sure it will all be ok" it probably won't be.
DO say "I hope everything goes well" it's the best we can do - hope.