Partners of Cancer Patients

Although the adjustment of cancer patients' partners has been studied more extensively in recent years than previously, three areas of research have not been integrated into the literature: (1) the impact of cancer on the partner across different stages of the illness trajectory, (2) gender differences in partner's reactions and adjustment, and (3) psychosocial interventions for partners. In Part I of their review, the authors discussed the partners' experiences, how the illness affected partners, and how partners adjusted to and coped with the patient's illness. Part II reviews the interventions that have been developed to help patients' partners and concludes with suggestions for providing interventions tailored specifically for different populations of partners.