Experiences of Living with Gynecological Cancer-Related Lymphedema Among Patients: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.

PURPOSE: Due to the gap in the existing literature regarding the absence of meta-synthesis of qualitative studies in the field of gynecological cancer-related lymphedema, and the limited attention to patient's experiences, the purpose of this study is to synthesize the qualitative experiences of the subjective real experience of gynecological cancer-related lymphedema patients to provide a reference to formulate clinically targeted strategies for management.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Journal articles were identified by conducting electronic searches in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Sino Med, Wanfang, VIP databases were searched to identify qualitative studies on real patient experiences of gynecological cancer-related lymphedema from inception to February 2026. The Integrating Methods were applied to synthesize and integrate the results. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research tool. The quality of the synthesis results was assessed using Con Qual.

RESULTS

A total of 12 studies involving 141 patients were included. Three themes and 10 subthemes were synthesized: Three synthesized findings were 1) Impacts of gynecological cancer-related lymphedema on patients, 2) Cognition and adaptation of patients with gynecological cancer-related lymphedema, and 3) Multifaceted support needs of patients with gynecological cancer-related lymphedema. The Con Qual rating of the synthesis results is moderate.

CONCLUSION

Patients with gynecological cancer-related lymphedema bear dual physical and psychological burdens. Disease cognition and coping strategies exhibit significant heterogeneity across different patients. It is imperative to provide patients with comprehensive support. Future research should broaden geographical coverage and enhance the evidence system to improve the quality of life for patients with gynecological cancer-related lymphedema and to formulate more targeted clinical management strategies.