He told Today.com: ‘We did find women who had abandoned male partners, but the differences were striking. There (were) a disproportionate number of partner abandonments in female patients.’

Dr Chamberlain – who admitted that his 2009 report makes men look like ‘bottom-dwelling, scum-sucking creatures’ – said that ‘men may be very well equipped to be primary providers but not so well equipped to be primary caregivers.’

Speaking with the news site, he said: ‘I think men are challenged in caring for someone who has disease and treatment-related symptoms – managing the stress, managing the logistics.’