Changes in intimate relationships following treatment for head and neck cancer-A qualitative study.

The aim of this study was to determine how patients with head and neck cancer experience changes within their intimate relationships at the end of treatment and detect detrimental and facilitating factors in the process of resuming intimate relationships. Interviews were conducted with 131 patients. A core category - "being open versus not sharing the cancer journey" - emerged from the patients' narratives and was based on the experiences of engagement/disengagement, openness/fear, and patronizing attitudes/sharing the burden. The findings point to the necessity of patients being open about the disease trajectory and might be understood in the light of theories about potential changes in identity and self-concept.