Breast cancer: how to get back to normal after you finish treatment

The recovery process is a major moment full of hope, but also uncertainty. Learning how to manage it is key to readapting to your daily routine.

International Breast Cancer Day is celebrated around the world on 19 October in support and solidarity with women who suffer from breast cancer and to raise public awareness about the importance of research and early detection. Breast cancer has a direct impact on both the person who suffers from it and their environment, affecting all areas of life: personal, emotional, physical, professional and financial.

The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) estimates that 34,750 new breast cancers will be diagnosed in Spain in 2022. The encouraging fact is that, thanks to primary prevention, early diagnosis and the latest medical, technical and scientific advances, the five-year survival rate, which has increased by 20% in the last 40 years, stands at around 90%. This means that out of every 100 women with breast cancer, 90 are still alive five years after diagnosis.

According to Cinthya Molina, psychologist at SHA Wellness Clinic, “breast cancer is the most common tumour in Western women and its prognosis depends, to a large extent, on early detection. In fact, it has a recovery rate of almost 100% if diagnosed at an early stage”.

Once cancer is diagnosed, life stops, and everything starts to revolve around the disease. But, once treatment is over, the process of recovery and readjustment to a new normal begins, which, although it may seem simple and full of joy, can also be a slow process fraught with fears. As Cinthya says, “it’s then that you realise that life has moved on and that it’s not where you left it. When a person gets over a serious illness, the so-called post-traumatic growth occurs, which involves a change in values and priorities caused by having faced the unpredictability of life and being forced to manage uncertainty. This is why getting back to the daily routine can be challenging and a bit dizzying. That’s what being resilient is all about, taking advantage of life’s difficult circumstances to make the most of them and come out of them empowered”.

To minimise uncertainty and face the process with hope and confidence, Cinthya recommends “living in the present, the here and now, spending more time with loved ones and talking about feelings. Cancer is often like a sieve that selects the good relationships from the bad ones. In addition, it is very important to improve self-care: take care of food, sleep and rest, get physical exercise, have good mental hygiene and stay proactive, respecting your own rhythm. In other words, translate the changes you’ve been planning into action. In short, and despite the difficulties, it is possible to get back to your regular routine after beating breast cancer. Perhaps not the same as before, but even better”.