Communication Dilemmas in the Context of Cancer: Survivors’ and Partners’ Strategies for Communicating Throughout Survivorship

Abstract

More people are now living longer beyond cancer treatment and are facing the complexities associated with survivorship. Communicating amid a cancer experience, for example, can be difficult for couples, and survivors must face these challenges for extended periods of time. The current study employed a communication perspective to explore couples’ conversations throughout cancer survivorship. In-depth interviews with 35 cancer survivors and 25 partners yielded insight into the specific communicative challenges couples face after completing cancer treatment. The data highlight cancer's lingering uncertainties and are discussed in terms of the dyadic challenges inherent in couples’ communicative efforts.