“We Look Beyond the Cancer to See the Person”: The Healing Path of Female Cancer Survivor

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived survivorship experience of Portuguese women with gynaecological cancer. A phenomenological hermeneutical method, inspired by Ricoeur’ theory of interpretation was employed. Ten women cancer survivors were recruited. An iterative process was carried out to identify themes and interwoven them into the four existentials of life world to lend structural meaning to the lived experience. Female survivors reported stories of positive and negative change complete with doubts and fears, as well as renewed relationships and altered priorities. Assisting clients with finding their ‘new normal’ and embracing its possibilities is critical to their long-term success.