Breast cancer survivors in Jordan face psychological, physical and social challenges that continue after treatment sessions end, including fear of recurrence, adapting to changes in their bodies and regaining independence within the family. The experiences of three Jordanian women show that recovery does not end when they leave hospital; instead, it begins a new process of rebuilding their lives and resetting their priorities.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in Jordan, with around 550 cases estimated to be diagnosed among Jordanian women each year, according to information provided by the King Hussein Cancer Center. Behind this figure are the differing personal experiences of women who, after completing treatment, find themselves facing questions about how to return to work, family and society while coping with persistent fear.
Rasha Sawalha holds on to work during treatment
For Jordanian Rasha Sawalha, the diagnosis was not a phase of treatment that ended with recovery, but a turning point that prompted her to reassess her priorities and the way she managed her life. Sawalha was diagnosed in 2023 with stage three breast cancer, after the disease had spread to her lymph nodes, and began a lengthy treatment journey involving more than one type of medical intervention.
Sawalha underwent chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as surgery that included removal of the affected breast. The other breast was also removed as a precaution, along with her ovaries, because of a genetic predisposition that increased her risk of cancer. Despite the difficulty of the treatments and their side effects, Sawalha remained in her job throughout that period.
She scheduled her treatment doses so that she had a few days to rest and recover before returning to work, trying to preserve part of her usual lifestyle during the illness. Sawalha says continuing to work supported her psychologically during treatment and gave her a sense that she was still able to live her life and fulfil her responsibilities despite the diagnosis.
Work became a way for her to resist the feeling that the illness was taking control of every detail of her day, rather than simply a professional obligation. About a year after finishing treatment, Sawalha left her job because of a restructuring at the organisation where she worked.
Although leaving work brought another change, she says the period gave her more time to focus on her health and recover from the pressures she had experienced during the illness and treatment. Sawalha says she devoted more time to physical activity and her social relationships: “I gave more time to my health, and started going to the gym, swimming, exercising, walking and meeting my friends more often.”
The change also extended to the way she managed her time and personal needs. Sawalha describes the impact of the experience on her life as a “180-degree” change, saying she became more attentive to her health, social relationships and spiritual life.
She also rearranged her priorities to give herself more time and space, after the responsibilities of daily life had taken up much of her attention. But completing treatment did not end the anxiety associated with the possibility of the cancer returning. For some survivors, the fear intensifies as medical examinations approach or while they wait for the results, when memories of diagnosis and treatment return to the forefront even after recovery.
Sawalha says many people who have experienced cancer go through this feeling, but she tries not to let fear take control of her life. At the same time, she attends her medical appointments and pays attention to any unusual health changes, seeking a balance between necessary follow-up and not living under the weight of constant anxiety.
Roland Al-Bawwab faces cancer recurrence twice
Jordanian Roland Al-Bawwab knows this fear at first hand, having developed breast cancer twice, around five years apart. She was 34 when she was first diagnosed, about 18 years ago. At the time, she was the mother of four children, the oldest 12 and the youngest three and a half.
The cancer was at stage three during her first diagnosis. Al-Bawwab underwent surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as hormone therapy. At that stage, her anxiety was linked to the disease itself and to the future of her young children and what the diagnosis might mean for their family life. Five years later, routine follow-up revealed a second diagnosis, but it was at an early stage.
This time, the condition required surgery as well as radiotherapy and hormone therapy, without the need to undergo chemotherapy again. Despite the many years that have passed since the two experiences, Al-Bawwab says the fear of recurrence never completely disappears and may return during examinations or while waiting for their results.
Describing the nature of this anxiety, she says: “At the end of the day, we are human,” adding that she deals with it by keeping up with medical follow-up rather than allowing it to affect her daily life. The effects of breast cancer are not limited to fear of recurrence. Surgery and treatment can also leave physical changes that affect how a woman sees herself, particularly when she has undergone a mastectomy.
Coming to terms with the body after treatment can become a fundamental part of psychological recovery. Al-Bawwab believes accepting these changes is not easy for all women, given the association many make between the breast and femininity, and the differing ability of each woman to adapt to losing it or to changes in its shape. As a result, survivors do not all undergo the same psychological experience, even when the treatment procedures they received are similar.
She notes that some women choose to undergo breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, while others prefer to adapt to the physical changes without further surgery. She stresses that every woman has her own experience and decision when dealing with her body after cancer, according to her needs and psychological and physical readiness.
King Hussein support extends beyond medical treatment
Support and rehabilitation services are important in helping patients and survivors deal with these effects. The King Hussein Cancer Center provides special bras for women who have undergone surgery and wig options, as well as services including psychological and social support, physiotherapy and nutritional care.
The breast cancer education clinic also includes clinical nurse co-ordinators, specialists and survivors who share their experiences with patients. They help women understand the stages of treatment and the effects that may accompany it, and provide guidance and support during and after the medical journey. As she rebuilt her life, Al-Bawwab moved from receiving support to supporting other women undergoing treatment.
She joined the Sanad group, which provides social and psychological support to breast cancer patients, and began visiting patients with other survivors while they received chemotherapy. During these visits, the survivors talk about their personal experiences and offer patients moral support.
Al-Bawwab says the main message she makes sure to convey to them is: “You are not alone; we have been through this experience,” in an effort to ease the isolation and fear that may accompany treatment. Al-Bawwab sees the course of her current life as personal evidence that life continues after illness. The four children she feared for during her first diagnosis have grown up, graduated from schools and universities and started work; a few weeks ago, she also celebrated the marriage of one of her sons.
Survivors reclaim their roles and social presence
Sawalha chose to share her experience with a wider audience through social media. She created pages under the name “Rasha Sawalha – Healing”, where she posts about her experience with breast cancer and stresses the importance of early detection and caring for oneself and one’s health. In a different experience, Jordanian Maysoon Taha faced a challenge related to how her family treated her after treatment ended.
Her family continued to regard her as a patient who needed constant protection and care, even though she had entered the post-treatment phase and wanted to resume her normal life. Taha says her family’s fear for her sometimes led them to stop her from doing tasks she was accustomed to carrying out. They also monitored her movements and asked whether she felt tired.
She understood that this behaviour came from their love and concern, but at the same time felt that excessive protection was limiting her independence. Taha wanted to regain her ability to make her own decisions and take part in activities without excessive restrictions. Over time, she began reclaiming her roles at home and participating again in family occasions and activities she had withdrawn from during treatment.
She explains that her real sense of returning to life was not linked to completing her last treatment session, but began when her family stopped repeatedly asking whether she was tired and returned to treating her normally. She was not asking them to stop caring about her health, but to give her the space she needed to regain confidence in her abilities.
Alongside the psychological and social aspects, medical follow-up remains a fundamental part of survivors’ lives. The King Hussein Cancer Center stresses the need to keep review appointments and inform a doctor about any new changes in the breast, chest or armpit, or any unusual symptoms that persist over time.
The frequency of appointments and examinations varies from one patient to another, depending on the type and stage of the cancer and the treatment received. Visits may be scheduled close together during the first years after treatment, before gradually becoming less frequent based on the doctor’s assessment of the condition.
The American Cancer Society explains that follow-up is not limited to trying to detect a possible recurrence. It also includes dealing with long-term side effects and monitoring physical and psychological health.
Not all survivors need extensive blood tests or multiple imaging examinations on a regular basis. The doctor determines which are appropriate according to the condition, symptoms and treatment history, with mammography carried out when required. Al-Bawwab says she saw her doctor once every three months after completing treatment, before the visits became six-monthly as part of continuing follow-up.
The experiences of Al-Bawwab, Sawalha and Taha show that life after cancer takes a different course for each survivor, from resetting priorities and supporting other patients to regaining independence within the family, while health follow-up remains a constant part of life after treatment.
