Karachi doctors say a quarter of JPMC cancer patients cannot complete treatment

About 25% of cancer patients at Karachi's Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre cannot complete treatment, doctors told the Breastcon 2026 conference, according to Dawn.

Speakers at the closing session of the two-day event linked the problem to the cost of newer medicines and inconsistent charitable assistance. Surgery and radiotherapy are free at the public hospital, but immunotherapy and targeted treatment can be beyond patients' means.

Oncology department head Ghulam Haider called for permanent government support. He estimated that a complete course of cancer care costs 3 million to 4 million Pakistani rupees, with treatment of chemotherapy complications potentially adding to expenses. Gaps in medicine supplies and funding interrupt care, he said.

Oncologist Saima Zahoor said more than 60% of breast cancer patients faced delays in diagnosis or treatment. She cited social pressure, fear, misconceptions and costs. These figures were presented as conference speakers' estimates, rather than findings from a new nationwide study.

Aga Khan University Hospital specialist Sana Zeeshan proposed a national breast cancer registry bringing together public, private and charitable hospitals' records. She said it would help identify gaps in care.