The approach that works for me is to define the following JavaScript function on the parent page:
function onCancel()
{
var myIFrame = document.getElementById("myIFrame");
var myForm = myIFrame.contentDocument.myForm;
var stuffWasChanged = myIFrame.contentDocument.stuffWasChanged;
if (stuffWasChanged == "true")
myForm.action = "reset.do";
myForm.submit();
location.href = '#';
}
, stuffWasChanged true, , .