Breast cancer support: how Hong Kong husbands can help wives overcome their fears
Head of city’s Breast Health Centre says that men need to know how to comfort and support their partners in coping with challenges arising from breast cancer, such as a sense of loss and reduced feelings of intimacy
Husbands play a vital role in helping wives with breast cancer overcome their fears and their illness, says Doris Cheung Chun-ho, head of the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation’s Breast Health Centre.
Counsellors at the centre encourage men to show more affection to their wives through hugging, kissing and holding hands – any gesture, Cheung explains, that says, “I still love you even though you don’t have a breast,” and “You are not just your breasts.”
Two big myths about breast cancer – and what Hong Kong women really need to know
The 3,000 or so women diagnosed with breast cancer in Hong Kong each year need support to adjust and cope with the many challenges they face, both physical and mental.
The psychological challenges in particular can be tough in Chinese society where cancer, especially breast cancer, remains a taboo topic for many, Cheung says. Patients have to cope with a sense of loss after a partial or total mastectomy and the impact on their sense of femininity.
“They may think negatively, and feel they are not as complete as they were before and start to question if they are still a woman and if they are attractive any more,” Cheung says. Such a mindset can lead to depression and suicide, especially if the patient feels abandoned by loved ones.
