Cancer care in Jordan

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Jordan after cardiovascular diseases. Due to increase in life expectancy and prolonged exposure to risk factors, cancer mortality and morbidity are expected to increase as the young population ages. This increase will constitute a challenging burden on healthcare systems in Jordan and many other neighboring countries. Planning is key to managing the expected rise in the demand for cancer care, and this will require public health initiatives to guarantee access to quality cancer care.Over the past decade, cancer care in Jordan has witnessed remarkable improvement through access to advanced diagnostics and therapeutics. In this review, we address the history of cancer care in Jordan, including cancer statistics, infrastructure, workforce as well as cancer care outcomes. We also discuss many of the challenges that we face and offer suggestions for the improvement of cancer management in Jordan and the region.