@IndianaScott You bring up a very good point! I also like your wording "when cancer joins the relationship." The section in the article on challenges would apply to new and also existing relationships. People should feel free to comment whether they are looking to start a relationship or navigating a current one and how cancer has impacted them.
Megan

Thanks @meganroessler In my relationship one of the biggest challenges for my partner and me was the many relationships that fell apart when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. So many friends, many of 40+ years, ghosted on us. The feelings of abandonment by those who we believed were true friends added to the emotional burden my partner was already feeling thanks to her diagnosis. This caused us far more isolation than we ever imagined while she fought her war, but it also made us realize all we really had was each other and brought us closer and even more intense feeling of love. A friend of our daughter's said it best to me "you will be surprised by who leaves your life when cancer joins it and you will be even more surprised by who it is that sticks with you."

Additionally the day cancer joined us our roles changed in our partnership. From her being the caring leader to me being the caregiver. I always say she took care of me for the first 2/3s of our partnership, then I took care of her for the final 1/3.

Thanks for letting me do a bit of free thought on this topic from a bit of a different perspective than you probably planned.