An ethnographic approach to intimate experiences of early-stage cervical cancer and fertility sparing surgery

Worldwide, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among people who have a cervix, including women, transgender men and people assigned female at birth. In the UK, it is possible to detect it in the early stages, and effective management makes it one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer. Large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) and Radical Trachelectomy are the surgical treatments for those who have been diagnosed in early stages of the disease, preserving fertility, and allowing a steady increase in the rate of conception. Improved healthcare and better chances of survival also mean that it is now more common for those who have gone through it to have to deal with the consequences of diagnosis and treatment. However, relatively little is known about their experiences in high-income countries, and even less concerning those who had surgery preserving their fertility.

EthnoCC is a two years qualitative study that investigates the lived experiences of women, transgender men and people assigned female at birth from across the United Kingdom who have received a fertility preserving treatment for cervical cancer, exploring how experiences of recovery could be improved. The total duration of the study is 24 months, out of which 13 months will be dedicated to data collection through in-depth interviews and arts-based research methods. Partners and/or carers who agree to participate will also be interviewed, together with non-profit organisations, and medical staff.

The research has been funded by the UKRI “Horizon Europe Guarantee” scheme and approved by the Edinburgh Medical School Research Ethics Committee (REC Ref: 23-EMREC-055).