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Couples dealing with breast cancer. A population-based cohort study PhD student, psychologist Nina Rottmann Purpose: This study seeks to provide evidence that will enable health professionals to integrate the patients’ intimate relationship as a resource and the partners’ needs and problems in cancer treatment, follow-up and rehabilitation. Background: A diagnosis of breast cancer may affect both the patient and her partner. Partners often take an active role in key decisions concerning treatment and provide support to the patient. Depressed mood, low quality of life and physical symptoms are some of the psychosocial adjustment problems patients and partners may experience following breast-cancer related changes in their roles and everyday life. Breast cancer also has an impact on the couple’s shared life and challenges their relationship. Patient and partner engage in joint efforts to deal with the cancer experience. These dyadic coping processes are likely to contribute to their psychosocial adjustment. Therefore more knowledge is needed from large, longitudinal studies on how couples adjust to breast cancer and how partners should be involved in treatment, follow-up and rehabilitation. Research questions: The following questions will be examined amongst others: Which psychosocial adjustment problems do patients and partners experience throughout the cancer trajectory? To what extent do the patient’s psychosocial adjustment problems influence the partner’s psychosocial adjustment problems and vice versa? Which dyadic coping patterns are beneficial? What characterizes couples at risk for developing psychosocial problems or rehabilitation needs? How and when should the partner be involved in future treatment and rehabilitation for cancer? Methods: The nationwide study follows couples throughout the breast cancer trajectory. Within the one-year inclusion period, 2256 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer and their partners were invited to participate. A total of 793 couples chose to participate. Following diagnosis and after 5 and 12 further months both patients and partners filled out questionnaires on individual wellbeing and relationship aspects. Sociodemographic and clinical information are accessed through nationwide registries. The study results can be used to describe when involvement of the partner in treatment and rehabilitation benefits patient and partner and when it could conversely be harmful.