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Patient and spouse/partner mutual self‐disclosure is central for maintaining intimacy and cognitive processing when transitioning to life after cancer. Protective buffering inhibits self‐disclosure and is defined as efforts to protect one's partner from upset and burden by hiding or denying cancer‐related concerns. Intimacy and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) are important determinants of individual and couple adaptation following cancer. Links between protective buffering and intimacy have not been examined in the context of daily life, and links with FCR have not been studied. We hypothesized that protective buffering is associated with decreased intimacy and increased FCR at a daily, within‐person level.

Sixty‐nine early‐stage breast cancer (BC) survivors and their spouses completed electronic diaries for 21 consecutive days at the end of adjuvant treatment. Patients and spouses reported on …