The Gynae Narratives Project is a series of projects focusing on experiences of radiotherapy treatment for gynaecological cancer.

The first of these projects, funded by NorthWest Cancer Research, was a collaboration between Lancaster University in the Northwest of England and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (CCC), an NHS Foundation Trust that specialises in the treatment of cancer, located on the Wirral near Liverpool.

The project ran between May 2019 and March 2022.

A second project, The Gynae Cancer Narratives On-Line project was developed to allow us to gather patients’ accounts remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project aims for these two projects were:

  • to increase understanding of how radiotherapy impacts on the sense of sexual self and on social and personal lives, and
  • to improve patient experiences of living with the social and personal impacts of radiotherapy.

The current project, talking about sexual wellness is funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Fund and brings the research team together with both the Society and College of Radiographers and experienced sexual pleasure workshop facilitators to initiate a series of conversations with health care practitioners. Building on the narratives shared with the project team, this project aims to develop key competencies and guidance for practitioners working in radiotherapy.

If you a Therapeutic Radiographer interested in joining us to talk about how we can improve competencies around talking about sexual wellbeing, please visit talking about sexual wellness.

For more information on each project please click on the tabs at the top of the page.