Breast Cancer and Beyond: Screening, Psychosocial, and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Patient Experience During Radiotherapy in a United Arab Emirates Cohort.

Background Breast cancer care extends beyond tumor-directed treatment to include screening behavior, psychosocial well-being, body image, family support, and financial and logistical burden. These issues are particularly relevant during radiotherapy, where repeated hospital attendance may amplify practical and emotional stressors. This study described multidimensional patient-experience domains among women receiving breast cancer care through the radiotherapy pathway at a tertiary cancer center in the United Arab Emirates. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 30 women with breast cancer managed through the radiation oncology pathway at SEHA Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE, between August 12 and October 8, 2024. A structured bilingual questionnaire in Arabic and English was administered by tablet or QR code. Variables included demographic characteristics, screening participation, cancer detection pathway, lifestyle factors, financial concerns, perceived stress before and after diagnosis, body image, family support, and interest in supportive-care interventions. Descriptive statistics were used. Results The mean age at diagnosis among respondents with numeric age data was 47.4 years (SD 11.9; range 27-70; n=29). Most questionnaires were completed in Arabic (24/30, 80.0%) and by tablet (27/30, 90.0%). Most participants were married (17/30, 56.7%), 13 (43.3%) resided in Al Ain, and 20 (66.7%) were unemployed. Only 12 participants (40.0%) reported prior participation in a breast screening program, while 21 (70.0%) reported self-detection of a breast lump as the detection pathway. Physical activity of less than 30 minutes per day was reported by 17 participants (56.7%). Mean perceived stress increased from 5.3/10 before diagnosis to 6.9/10 after diagnosis. Mean scores also indicated high family/friend support (8.3/10), body image impact (6.0/10), support-group interest (5.4/10), financial impact (5.0/10), financial worry (5.2/10), and medical expense concern (4.7/10). Conclusions In this small single-center UAE cohort, women receiving breast cancer care through the radiotherapy pathway reported low screening participation, frequent self-detection, increased stress after diagnosis, body-image concerns, financial/logistical burdens, and interest in supportive-care interventions. These findings support integrating structured psychosocial assessment, screening outreach, and supportive-care pathways into breast radiotherapy services.