Experiencing the cancer of their husbands: reports of the wives

Oncological disease affects the whole family, especially the caregiving member, most of the time the woman. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of wives whose husbands are being treated for hematological cancer. A qualitative, cross-sectional study was carried out with ten wives, aged between 25 and 63 years. A semi-structured interview script and a sociodemographic form were used. It was found that the diagnosis caused many mourning, ambivalent feelings, and the need for family rearrangements. Faith was the main source of support for coping and accepting the disease. We conclude that the illness of the husband triggered the need to learn new skills, and that despite the suffering it was an opportunity to re-signify life.