Men's experience of their partners' breast cancer diagnosis, breast surgery and oncological treatment.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the experiences of male partners of female breast cancer patients who had undergone surgery and oncological treatment and who were still raising children.

BACKGROUND: Research on the psychological effects of breast cancer has focused primarily on the patients undergoing treatment, neglecting the effect of such a condition on their closest family members. This study addresses this gap by focusing on understanding the effects of this disease on male partners of these patients.

DESIGN: An interpretative phenomenological approach was used.

METHODS: Eight males whose female partners were diagnosed with primary breast cancer between the ages of 30 and 55 and who had young children still living at home at the time were interviewed by the first author of this article. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological framework, in accordance with the guidelines in the COREQ checklist for qualitative studies.

RESULTS: Participants emphasized the difficulties they faced in trying to juggle work and family responsibilities while offering support to their partners, a task they felt ill-prepared for. At times, they felt excluded by their partners and worried about the impact of the disease on their children. A common fear was that of recurrence of the disease, and while some discussed the financial difficulties associated with treating the disease, others saw it as enhancing the potential for their personal and couple growth.

CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the topic by uncovering the perspectives of male partners of breast cancer patients and the effects of their partner's condition on them and their families.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results of this study can be used to inform policy when providing holistic care. They also highlight the importance of counselling and support interventions for partners of breast cancer patients.