The experience of the partners of women with breast cancer

Abstract

Objective: To understand the experience of partners of women with breast cancer. Method: This was a qualitative study, based on the theoretical-methodological framework of existential and phenomenological psychology, and carried out with the partners of women with breast cancer who attended a center for rehabilitation after mastectomy. The data were collected in interviews between June and November 2014, based on a guiding question. Results: Ten partners participated in the study. On discovering the disease, the partners experienced emotional distress caused by the fear of losing their partners. Before this suffering, they demonstrated the ability to react: willingness to provide care, to comfort and to support the women in search of treatment, and together, seek to reverse adverse situations. They also showed sensitivity and recognized the intense emotional suffering of the women caused by the challenges faced throughout the course of treatment. Conclusion: The present study showed the intense suffering of the partners of women with breast cancer and their difficulty to ask for help. Thus, health professionals must be alert, addressing their needs throughout the treatment process to mitigate suffering.