The body has a central role in illness and in nursing care. However, the body may be overlooked, both as a biological entity and in its less visible role in enabling people to make sense of illness. Guided by the works of Heidegger and Frankl, this article explores the findings of a previous study by the author, and reveals the important role of the body in making sense of cancer. Much has been written about the body in the literature, but this article focuses on how ‘sense-making’ is enacted through the body and what the body can teach us about the personal experience of illness.

The study participants were engaged in a sense-making process that led them to question their body and other aspects of themselves that they may have taken for granted. Through this process, the participants started to make sense of the changes they observed in their body, assisting them to understand their diagnosis. Paying attention to the role of the body may assist nurses to focus on providing person-centred care.