In the Space Between: Women’s Experiences of Identity Living with Advanced Cancer

Smith, Amelia Francesca (2026) In the Space Between: Women’s Experiences of Identity Living with Advanced Cancer. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

The overall aim of this thesis portfolio was to explore women’s experiences of self-identity while living with advanced cancer. This aim was addressed through two complementary studies: a qualitative systematic review and meta-ethnography, and an empirical qualitative study.

The systematic review synthesised qualitative research exploring women’s experiences of identity while living with advanced cancer. Eleven peer reviewed qualitative studies were included and analysed using a meta-ethnographic approach. Four higher order constructs were generated: performing normality to protect identity; temporal reorganisation in the face of mortality emotional regulation amid shifting priorities; and meaning making and reclaiming the narrative. The synthesis conceptualised identity as an active, relational and morally situated process, shaped by gendered roles, societal expectations and awareness of mortality. Findings highlighted the considerable emotional labour undertaken by women to preserve continuity of self while navigating progressive, incurable illness.

The empirical study utilised Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experiences of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen women who had been living with a metastatic diagnosis for over six months. Four superordinate themes were identified: Rupture: the shattering impact of diagnosis; Ripples: Unnerving changes; Fragmentation: living in the shadow of mortality; and Who am I now? Reconstruction and reclaiming of identity. The findings illuminated the impact of metastatic diagnosis on a woman's core sense of self, her relationships and future orientation, alongside identity processes which were found to be actively dynamic moving through adaptation and into reconstruction.

Together, the findings from both papers highlight identity as a dynamic, relational process that is continually negotiated by women under conditions of existential threat. This portfolio underscores the importance of attending to women's identity experiences with psycho-oncological and palliative care interventions and emphasises the need for psychologically informed and person-centred approaches in healthcare which support dignity and agency, in the context of advanced cancer.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	09 Nov 2026 11:15
Last Modified:	09 Nov 2026 11:15
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/105012
DOI:

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