Spousal Support and Coping in Couples Facing Advanced Stage Breast Cancer: Differences between Patients and Partners

56 advanced breast cancer patients and partners completed surveys of distress, marital satisfaction, communication, coping, and social support. Patients reported more spousal support, emotional processing and emotional expression coping than partners; partners reported more relationship-focused coping. Correlates of marital adjustment paralleled between patients and partners; correlates of distress differed.