Partner Abandonment of Women with Breast Cancer: Myth or Reality?

Abstract

This review indicates that it may be important for clinicians to routinely ask about the quality of the marital relationship as part of the initial assessment, because it appears that this may be a main predictor of post-diagnosis marital adjustment. In addition, greater dissemination of the findings of this review through the media and through cancer organizations is needed to more accurately reflect the experience of couples facing breast cancer and, thus, to begin to change the public perception of partner desertion after breast cancer. This could help both women with breast cancer and women from the general population who may one day confront a breast cancer diagnosis.

Depression and anxiety levels in woman under follow-up for breast cancer: relationship to coping with cancer and quality of life

“…The willingness of the patient's spouse to share the difficulties related with cancer, accompanying the patient, and accepting the disease as a family problem, constitutes important support for the patients' point of view. The situation where the spouse does not support the patient in the process of coping with disease may be explained as supportive deficit in the marital relation, and lack of this crucial support negatively affects the strength of coping with the disease in the other cultures as well [23][24][25].…”

Core Themes in a Support Group for Spouses of Breast Cancer Patients

“…Despite the aforementioned, and contrary to the common attitudes promulgated by the media and popular culture (Taylor-Brown et al, 2000), the rate of divorce is no higher among couples in which the female partner has breast cancer (Dorval, Maunsell, & Taylor-Brown, 1999;Taylor-Brown et al, 2000). A number of studies have reported that male spouses experienced psychological growth in coming to terms with the illness.…”

“…The state of the relationship before the illness (Taylor-Brown, Kilpatrick, & Maunsell, 2000): It seems that the more the couple's relationship was found to be as stable and positive before diagnosis, so the chances grew that it would serve as a source of support during the course of the illness. 2.…”

Psychosocial Adjustment and Marital Intimacy Among Partners of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Comparison Study with Partners of Healthy Women

“…In fact, research has revealed that most couples adapt well and have sufficient resources to cope with illness (Dorval et al, 2005;Taylor-Brown, Kilpatrick, Maunsell, & Dorval, 2000). Most couples do not report a decrease in the quality of their marital relationship (Manne, 1998), and only a small proportion of couples experience difficulties or separation following diagnosis (Dorval, Maunsell, Taylor-Brown, & Kilpatrick, 1999;Taylor-Brown et al, 2000).…”