death because they could not receive definitive assurance of a
lifetime cure. This is consistent with previous studies of
couples with cancer within one year after diagnosis (Illingworth
et al. 2010). It is also in line with the theory of ‘The
omnipotence of cancer’, where cancer is always considered a
threat to life, irrespective of whether it is cured in a medical
sense (Shaha & Cox 2003). The uncertainty made some
couples in our study realise that life is fragile and time
together was valuable, while others were mainly preoccupied
with fears of not surviving the cancer.
Survival of cancer of the colon and rectum has increased
(Birgisson et al. 2005, Pahlman et al. 2007), but all couples
felt uncertainty irrespective tumour location and time of
recovery, which might indicate that the healthcare system
failed to inspire reasonable hope in patients and partners.
Even if it is impossible for some couples to avoid uncertainty,
it is important that healthcare professionals understand their
beliefs about illness and death, so they can emphasise their
good chances of survival.