"You Feel Like a Bystander in Your Own Life"-A Qualitative Study of Men's Experience Cancer Healthcare.

Objectives: This study explores the experience of healthcare professional (HCP) interactions for men with cancer. Additionally, to explore whether there is a disparity in how they perceive the interaction based on their relationship status-whether they are single or cohabiting.

Methods: The design was a qualitative descriptive study with a hermeneutic approach, using in-depth focus group interviews. Two focus group interviews were conducted between December 2023 and January 2024, with 11 men participating. The participants were divided into two groups based on whether they were single or cohabiting. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Three themes were extracted from the data. (1) "Perceptions of received support for caregivers vary based on living status" emphasizing the vital support caregivers provide to men who are cohabiting. The caregivers of single men are not automatically included in discussions with HCPs. (2) "The importance of information and healthcare professional relationships" underscores the disparity in the relationship between single men and HCPs compared to cohabiting men. (3) "Masculine norms and health behaviour" explores how traditional masculine norms influence men's health behaviors.

Conclusions: Cohabiting men feel acknowledged and adequately informed about their illness and therefore report a generally positive experience with HCPs. Single men feel overlooked by HCPs, sensing a lack of interest in their individual circumstances and life experiences. Consequently, single men advocate for continuity in care, believing it would enable HCPs to better understand their needs and provide the necessary support.

Implications for nursing practice: There is a need to recognize the diversity among men for a more individualized approach to care. Recognizing and acknowledging the male perspective enables the development of interventions tailored to enhance the quality of life. Single men express a desire for continuity in their care. A consistent patient-nurse relationship fosters trust and therefore encourages men to open up.