Beyond the Body: Women’s Experiences of Life-Limiting Gynecological Cancer and Implications for Feminist Palliative Social Work

Gynecological cancers are serious, potentially life-limiting illnesses affecting women’s physical health, bodily identities, family roles, relationships, and psychosocial care needs. Although psycho-oncology literature has addressed cancer-related distress, the gendered, embodied, and relational dimensions of gynecological cancer remain insufficiently examined within feminist and palliative social work scholarship. This qualitative phenomenological study explores women’s lived experiences of gynecological cancer and their psychosocial and palliative care needs from a feminist social work perspective. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight women receiving inpatient treatment in a gynecological oncology clinic in Türkiye and analyzed thematically. Findings show that participants experienced gynecological cancer as an embodied and socially situated life-limiting illness marked by bodily disruption, emotional vulnerability, stigma, silence, dependency concerns, and limited psychosocial support. The findings also suggest that palliative needs may emerge before the terminal phase through uncertainty, family caregiving, loss of autonomy, bodily dependence, and concerns about dignity, privacy, and relational support. The findings support earlier, gender-sensitive, culturally responsive, and relationally informed palliative social work involvement in oncology settings.