One in four cancer patients at Karachi's JPMC cannot finish treatment as costs reach Rs3 to 4 million

About 25% of cancer patients treated at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi cannot complete their treatment, mainly because newer medicines cost too much and charitable help is patchy, doctors said at the close of Breastcon 2026, the hospital's two-day breast cancer conference, Dawn reported on Monday 12 October 2026.

A full course of cancer care, covering surgery, radiotherapy, medicines and injections, costs Rs3 million to Rs4 million, speakers said, and managing the side effects of chemotherapy can push that higher.

What is free at JPMC and what is not

• Free: surgery and radiotherapy. JPMC is Sindh's largest public-sector tertiary hospital.
• Partly covered: other cancer care, supported by philanthropists, charities and Zakat funds, but doctors said that support is not consistent.
• Not free: newer immunotherapy and targeted therapies, such as the medicines used for HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. Their cost is the main reason patients stop.

Dr Ghulam Haider, head of JPMC's oncology department, called for permanent government funding, saying gaps in medicine supply interrupt treatment. Some patients go home once their savings run out and return months later with larger tumours.

Delays start before treatment

More than 60% of breast cancer patients face delays in diagnosis or treatment, the conference heard. Dr Saima Zahoor, assistant professor of medical oncology at JPMC and the conference co-chair, said fear, social pressure and myths, such as the belief that a biopsy spreads cancer, push women towards alternative remedies, and the search for help from Baitul Mal or charities can cost further weeks.

Dr Syeda Zareen Raza, a JPMC surgeon, said some patients can have breast-conserving or oncoplastic surgery, but worries about appearance and hair loss keep others away.

What the doctors want

• A national breast cancer registry pooling public, private and charity hospital records on stage, treatment, recurrence and survival (Dr Sana Zeeshan, Aga Khan University Hospital).
• Organised screening, access to quality local and generic medicines, and treatment plans that take a family's finances into account (Dr Najeeb Naimatullah, Shaukat Khanum).
• More research funding, which Sindh HEC chairman Dr Tariq Rafi offered to support.

What to do

See a doctor about any new lump, skin change or discharge from the breast: early diagnosis greatly improves the chance of recovery and usually means cheaper treatment. Ask the hospital's social welfare or Zakat office about support on the first visit, not after savings run out. Find hospitals near you in our Karachi hospitals directory, and if you are planning for a long treatment, our Zakat calculator helps families who want to direct their Zakat to a patient.