Partner abandonment of women with breast cancer - Myth or reality?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to determine the existing evidence related to marital breakdown after a breast cancer diagnosis by reviewing s tudies that highlight two current belief models: the lay belief model and t he clinical belief model, OVERVIEW: The small number of studies conducted on this topic since 1988 re vealed no data to confirm the lay belief model, which proposes that women w ith breast cancer are abandoned by their partners. The evidence appears to support the clinical belief model that the majority of marital relationship s remain stable after breast cancer and that breakdown is most likely in th ose relationships with pre-existing difficulties. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This review indicates that it may be important for c linicians 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 disse mination of the findings of this review through the media and through cance r organizations is needed to more accurately reflect the experience of coup les facing breast cancer and, thus, to begin to change the publication of p artner desertion after breast cancer. This could help both women with breas t cancer acid women from the general population who may one day confront a breast cancer diagnosis.