At the Breastcon 2026 conference in Karachi, speakers reported that about one-quarter of cancer patients at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) abandon their treatment due to high costs of newer therapies. Dr Ghulam Haider, head of JPMC's oncology department, highlighted the need for government assistance since philanthropic support is inconsistent and often insufficient to cover complete care, which can cost between Rs3 million and Rs4 million. The conference also discussed how social pressures, fear, and misconceptions delay treatment for over 60% of breast cancer patients, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and proper medical guidance.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 73250: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-12
Around 25 per cent of cancer patients at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) are unable to complete their treatment, speakers said on the concluding day of a two-day conference, attributing the situation to the high cost of newer therapies and inconsistent philanthropic assistance.
asserted
speakers → complete → therapies
The event titled Breastcon 2026 was organised by JPMC.
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event → title → JPMC
According to speakers, while the province’s largest tertiary-care public-sector hospital offers surgery and radiotherapy free of charge, the high costs of newer immunotherapies and targeted therapies force many patients to discontinue treatment.
uncertain
costs → accord → treatment
Regretting the situation, JPMC’s head of the oncology department, Dr Ghulam Haider, called for permanent government assistance to help patients complete treatment.
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patients → regret → treatment
Complete cancer care costs Rs3-4m, with many patients unable to afford newer therapies, says oncology dept head
“Cancer care at JPMC is supported by philanthropists, charities and Zakat funds, but this assistance is not consistently available.
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assistance → cost → philanthropists
Gaps in medicine supplies and funding can interrupt treatment and affect its outcomes,” he said, emphasising that reliance on charitable donations alone was insufficient.
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reliance → interrupt → donations
According to him, the overall cost of complete cancer care, including surgery, radiotherapy, medicines and injections, ranges from Rs3 million to Rs4m.
uncertain
cost → accord → Rs4
The management of complications arising from chemotherapy can further increase costs.
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management → arise → costs
“Some patients return home after exhausting their resources and come back months later with larger tumours,” he told the audience.
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patients → return → audience
JPMC assistant professor of medical oncology Dr Saima Zahoor, who was also the conference co-chair, said that more than 60pc of breast cancer patients faced delays in diagnosis or treatment.
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60pc → say → diagnosis
“Social pressure, fear, misconceptions and treatment costs contribute to these delays.
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pressure → contribute → delays
Others fear [that a] biopsy will spread cancer and turn to alternative treatments, losing months before reaching a hospital,” she lamented.
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she → fear → hospital
She also spoke about HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease in which cells produce excessive amounts of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein, causing tumours to grow and divide faster.
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tumours → speak → protein
She said the condition might require expensive targeted medicines.
uncertain
condition → say → medicines
At the same time, seeking assistance from Baitul Mal or charities could further delay care.
uncertain
seeking → seek → care
“Women should consult a qualified doctor about unusual breast changes.
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Women → consult → changes
Early diagnosis and timely treatment improve the chances of recovery,” she noted.
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she → improve → recovery
JPMC general surgeon Dr Syeda Zareen Raza said that some patients could undergo breast conservation or oncoplastic surgery, adding that fears about appearance, hair loss and social attitudes could discourage them from seeking treatment.
uncertain
fears → say → treatment
Dr Sana Zeeshan of Aga Khan University Hospital called for a national breast cancer registry that combines records from public, private, and charitable hospitals.
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that → call → hospitals
Data on disease stages, treatment, recurrence and survival would help identify gaps and guide research, she said.
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she → help → research
Dr Najeeb Naimatullah of Shaukat Khanum Hospital called for organised screening, access to quality local and generic medicines and consideration of patients’ financial circumstances in treatment.
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Naimatullah → call → treatment
Chief guest Dr Tariq Rafi, chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission, urged stronger screening, cooperation between institutions and medical research, while offering the commission’s support to researchers through available funding.
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guest → urge → funding
The Aporia
