Exploring the lived experiences of women with breast cancer across the care continuum: a systematic meta-aggregative qualitative review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women globally and remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Although epidemiological trends and clinical outcomes are well documented, less consolidated evidence exists regarding how women experience diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and health system navigation, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Since the publication of a 2019 meta-synthesis of women’s narratives of breast cancer, qualitative research in this field has expanded substantially. An updated synthesis is therefore warranted. Hence, this systematic qualitative review aims to synthesise updated evidence on the lived experiences of women diagnosed with breast cancer across the care trajectory and explore how these experiences may inform patient-centred clinical practice and health policy in diverse global contexts.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This review will update prior evidence by synthesising studies published between 1 February 2018 and 31 January 2026. The review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) meta-aggregation methodology. The review question is framed using the Population, Phenomenon of Interest and Context framework, while eligibility criteria are operationalised using a modified framework to reflect the qualitative focus of the review. The protocol has been developed in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCOhost/CINAHL will be searched. Eligible studies will include peer-reviewed qualitative research reporting first-person accounts of women assigned female sex at birth, reflecting female biological sex and aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with breast cancer. Screening, data extraction and methodological appraisal will be undertaken independently by multiple reviewers. Methodological quality will be assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for qualitative research, findings will be synthesised using the JBI meta-aggregation approach and confidence in the evidence will be evaluated using ConQual.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As this review uses published literature only, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations and stakeholder engagement to inform patient-centred oncology care and health system strengthening globally.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The protocol is registered on the Open Science Framework. The registered protocol is available at https://osf.io/wgzck/ (Registration DOI - 10.17605/OSF.IO/WGZCK).