The carer's place in the cancer situation: where does the carer stand in the medical setting?

Recent thinking about policy on cancer services in the UK has highlighted t he importance of recognising the needs of carers, but is unclear about the ways in which this might be done. Our recent study on the psychosocial need s of cancer patients and their main informal carers was unusual in its comb ined focus on patients and carers experiencing the 'cancer journey' togethe r. One of our aims was to contribute to an understanding of what it means t o be the main carer of someone with cancer. Using the qualitative data from the 79 carers and patients we interviewed, we ask how carers negotiate the ir place in the cancer situation, and particularly how do carers identify t heir role in relation to the patient and the medical setting? We posit care rs as taking part in a shifting process of 'carerhood' in which competing n eeds vie for space. Our evidence suggests carers actively negotiate the cha llenges of their position in dealing with issues of identity, support, and sharing. We suggest that when the carer's involvement in the cancer scenari o is recognised and legitimised by others it is easier for them to attend t o their own needs alongside those of the patient.