Experiences of Gynecological Cancer through Perspectives of Existential Philosophy: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis Study

The aim of this study was to re-interpret qualitative studies that examined life experiences of women with gynecological cancer through the perspective of "existentialist philosophy". In this meta-synthesis study, a theoretical sampling method was used. Thirty-five studies that were accessible in full text, published in Turkish and English, were included in the meta-synthesis. The Joanna Briggs Institute’s 2011 Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument and Weed’s meta-interpretation approach was used, respectively, to evaluate and interpret data. In this study, data pertaining to women’s experiences with cancer were re-interpreted based on five fundamental concepts of existentialist philosophy: (1)Angst: In cancer’s shadow, (2)Despair: I'm sorry for my losses!, (3)Authenticity: Towards a new existence, (4)The Absurd: Lives confined to the short distance between joy of life and existential crisis, (5)The “Other” and the “Look”: Cancer: It's so hard to say! In this meta-synthesis study, it was found that women with gynecological cancer continuously bear the heavy burden of uncertainty and the threat of existential angst, and require expert, knowledgeable, and authentic care that focuses on their existence.