Purpose <p>This study identified different subgroups of meaning in life among young and middle-aged cancer patients, examined the sociodemographic and disease-related factors associated with these subgroups, and explored the correlation between these subgroups and psychological distress and post-traumatic growth.</p> Methods <p>A total of 500 young and middle-aged cancer patients aged 18 to 59 completed the sociodemographic and disease-related questionnaire, the Purpose in Life Test, the Chinese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, and the Distress Thermometer. Latent profile analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore the subgroups of meaning in life and their associated socio-demographic and disease-related factors. Linear regression was used to investigate the correlation between these subgroups and psychological distress and post-traumatic growth.</p> Results <p>The meaning in life among young and middle-aged cancer patients can be categorized into three profiles: low, moderate, and high meaning groups. The results of the multivariate logistic regression showed that age, gender, educational level, financial stress, disease duration, presence of commercial insurance, and family history were significant factors associated with the subgroups of meaning in life. Linear regression analysis indicated that meaning in life was negatively correlated with psychological distress and positively correlated with post-traumatic growth.</p> Conclusions <p>The meaning in life among young and middle-aged cancer patients was heterogeneous. Healthcare providers should develop and offer targeted intervention strategies based on the characteristics of different subgroups to enhance their meaning in life, thereby maintaining good psychological health.</p>