Psychosocial Impact of Sarcoma: Challenges and Adaptation, a Meta-Synthesis

Sarcoma is a rare and heterogeneous cancer frequently associated with significant psychosocial burden. This review aims to synthesise qualitative research to examine the psychosocial impact of sarcoma in adults, focusing on how individuals experience and make sense of disruption across diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and survivorship, the ways they adapt to these challenges, and the psychosocial needs they identify throughout the sarcoma trajectory.

A preregistered systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42024571502) was conducted following PRISMA and ENTREQ guidance. Four databases were searched (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Web of Science), and peer-reviewed qualitative studies involving adults with sarcoma were included. Updated search conducted on 30/12/2025. Study quality was appraised using CASP, and data were synthesised using inductive thematic synthesis to integrate experiential accounts and generate analytical insights.

Forty studies published between 2008 and 2025 involving 538 participants were included, with most rated high methodological quality. Five themes captured sarcoma as a cumulative psychosocial disruption, beginning with diagnostic delay and uncertainty, intensifying through invasive treatment and prolonged recovery, and extending into enduring changes in body image, function, identity, and social participation. Adaptation emerged as a dynamic, ongoing process involving self-management, meaning-making, selective information engagement, and reliance on relational and professional support. Persistent unmet needs were identified, particularly regarding specialist, coordinated care and sarcoma-informed rehabilitation.

Experiences of sarcoma as adults are characterised by prolonged psychosocial disruption requiring adaptation across all stages of the illness. Findings highlight the importance of specialist, continuous, and rehabilitation-focused sarcoma care to support long-term adjustment and wellbeing.