Social decision-making of Japanese male spouses following their wives’ breast cancer diagnosis: A quantitative content analysis

Living with patients with cancer is a significant challenge. This study aimed to investigate the social decisions made by working-age Japanese husbands of women with breast cancer. An online survey with open-ended questions was administered to 338 Japanese men aged < 60 years regarding the decisions they made following their spouses’ breast cancer diagnosis. Responses from 288 men who reported making at least one social decision were analyzed using qualitative content analyses. Decisions were categorized into three areas: support for daily living (59.7%), financial matters (23.7%), and employment (16.5%). Most decisions related to daily living, finances, and employment are made before treatment initiation. This study observed that husbands of women with breast cancer encounter various social decisions related to daily life, finances, and employment in the early stage of illness. This highlights the need for timely support to help them navigate these critical choices and promote “coexistence with cancer.”