Cancer as a life-changing process: Women's experiences five years after treatment for gynaecological cancer

Abstract

This article presents and discusses the essential structure appearing in a phenomenological study focusing on women's experiences of living as long-term survivors after gynaecological cancer, namely Cancer as a life-changing process. The aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of living beyond gynaecological cancer. The study is founded on a phenomenological life-world perspective, and based on 32 in-depth interviews with 16 women aged 39 to 66, all free of illness. The interviews were made five and six years after treatment for cancer, respectively. Surviving cancer entails living with profound life-changes, demanding as well as enriching, even though the women have been declared cured. The essential structure consists of two interrelated constituents; “living between life courage and life anxiety” and “living between existential loneliness and relational caring”. The constituents are illuminated by the perspective of Danish life-philosophy, represented by Ludvig Feilberg and Knud Eilert Løgstrup—and Mogens Pahuus’ interpretation of their thinking. The empirics clearly show that life phenomena are still “ploughed up” five to six years after treatment when the women have been declared long-term survivors. The study points out that experiencing cancer can move the women deeply in their lives. This may challenge health care personnel in their encounters with women surviving gynaecological cancer.