Life after cancer : men’s experience of their partners’ breast cancer diagnosis, breast surgery and oncological treatment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of men after their partners were diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent breast surgery and oncological treatment. Eight participants were invited to reflect on this journey and shared their thoughts, emotions and meanings ascribed to it. The study adopted an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach both to collect and analyze the data generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews. A number of themes communicating the essence of male partners’ experience emerged. These include feeling excluded by the partner after surgery, the impact on sexuality and intimacy, financial and work difficulties, oncological treatment as being the worst part of the journey, partners’ concern about children’s difficulties, breast cancer in the context of other life problems, the importance of social support and life after cancer. Each of these themes has implications for counselling practice, training and supervision. One major implication of this study is that it highlights the need for psychosocial services to work with the whole family, not only with the woman diagnosed with breast cancer. A number of recommendations for future research were also made.