Abstract
BackgroundPartners of young breast cancer survivors (BCS) are at increased risk for deficits in quality of life (QoL). To intervene effectively, it is important to understand how the breast cancer experience impacts partners. The purpose of this study was to compare QoL between partners of young BCS and partners of healthy acquaintance controls.MethodsPartners of young BCS (3–8 years post treatment and ≤ 45 years old at diagnosis) and partners of age-matched healthy acquaintance controls completed questionnaires on overall, physical (physical function, sexual difficulty), social (personal resources, sexual enjoyment, marital satisfaction, partner social support, social constraints, parenting satisfaction), psychological (depressive symptoms), and spiritual (behaviors, beliefs, and activities) QoL. Analyses included descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA to compare partner groups on all study variables.ResultsAlthough partners of young BCS (n = 227) reported fewer social constraints (p < .001), they reported lower overall QoL (p < .001), fewer personal resources (p < .001), more sexual difficulty (p = .019), less sexual enjoyment (p = .002), less marital satisfaction (p = .019), more depressive symptoms (p = .024), and fewer spiritual behaviors (p < .001), beliefs (p = .001) and activities (p = .003) compared to partners of healthy acquaintance controls (n = 170). Additional analysis showed that perceptions that the relationship changed for the better since cancer, social constraints, partner social support, and depression predicted marital satisfaction among partners of young BCS.ConclusionsPartners of young BCS are at risk for poorer overall, physical, social, psychological, and spiritual QoL compared to partners of healthy women. Interventions targeting QoL domains may enable partners to effectively support their partner and improve their QoL.
Highlights
3.4 million women in the United States are breast cancer survivors (BCS) [1]
Women are surviving longer, BCS are at risk for poor physical, social, psychological, and spiritual quality of life (QoL) years after the cancer experience [3]
The purpose of the parent study was to compare long-term QoL in younger BCS to older BCS and age-matched healthy acquaintance controls
Summary
3.4 million women in the United States are breast cancer survivors (BCS) [1]. Women are surviving longer, BCS are at risk for poor physical, social, psychological, and spiritual quality of life (QoL) years after the cancer experience [3]. Many BCS have partners who experience deficits in QoL years after the cancer experience [4]. Research has demonstrated that partners of BCS diagnosed before age 50 are disproportionately affected by cancer, as they report more QoL deficits than partners of BCS diagnosed at a later age [4]. Longitudinal studies have found that partners of young BCS have worse marital functioning, more posttraumatic stress hyperarousal, and worse overall QoL than partners of older BCS [5]. Partners of young breast cancer survivors (BCS) are at increased risk for deficits in quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this study was to compare QoL between partners of young BCS and partners of healthy acquaintance controls
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