Breast Cancer

Abstract

Most psychosocial research on breast cancer has focused on the patient, yet the disease has an impact on the patient's partners as well. Little is known about the nature of this experiene. In this qualitative study, the partners of 67 women diagnosed with breast cancer were interviewed in an effort to identify the demands that the illness experience made on their lives. The men described how they reacted to the partner's disease, their sensitivity to her needs, and the impact of the illness on their relationship. They also commented on the difficulties they encountered in negotiating the disease experience and how they adapted their lifestyles to meet the demands of the illness. The men shared their concerns about what the future might hold and described their attempts to minimize the effects of the illness. The authors' findings can serve as a guide for caregivers in the delivery of family-level services in the context of the cancer experience.