Gaza’s Health Ministry reports severe gaps in breast cancer care

Women with breast cancer in Gaza face shortages of medicines, restricted access to diagnostic tests and no radiotherapy, according to an October 1 statement by Gaza’s Health Ministry reported by Al Jazeera on October 22. Patient and clinician accounts describe some treatment continuing, but long waits for scans and specialist care abroad.

Before the war, women could receive an initial examination at a primary healthcare centre and then be referred to hospital for breast imaging and further tests. Dr Iman al-Haj Ahmad, an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Deir el-Balah, told Al Jazeera that imaging is now limited, some cancer specialists have left Gaza, and tests needed to confirm a diagnosis are not always available through public services.

What care remains available

The ministry said repeated breakdowns of mammography machines, which produce breast X-rays, and shortages of laboratory supplies had severely restricted early detection. Chemotherapy, hormonal treatments and targeted therapies were unavailable or critically scarce. Radiotherapy, which uses radiation to treat cancer, was completely unavailable, and surgery for advanced tumours had stopped because specialised medical capabilities were lacking.

Primary healthcare supervisor Sabreen al-Buhaisi said free mammography remained available at a limited number of hospitals, but appointments involved long waits. Private screening was too expensive for many families, she said.

Hiba Musbah, a 36-year-old breast cancer patient from eastern Deir el-Balah, told Al Jazeera she had gone three months without a needed computed tomography (CT) scan because public hospitals lacked the equipment. She said a private scan cost about 150 shekels ($48), which she could not afford. According to Musbah, her doctor feared the cancer might have spread, but she still did not know whether it had.

Fewer recorded diagnoses do not establish fewer cases

The ministry reported fewer newly recorded breast cancer cases than before the war. It warned that the figures might not reflect the true number because screening and early-diagnosis services had largely collapsed, potentially leaving hundreds of patients undiagnosed.

Referrals still await travel approval

Al-Haj Ahmad, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2025, was receiving hormonal treatment while awaiting travel abroad for radiotherapy. Her referral had been pending since September 2025. She continued to examine women and refer suspected cases for further assessment.

Medical evacuation is coordinated by the World Health Organization and Gaza’s Health Ministry, Al Jazeera reported. Patients' files must then go to Israel for security screening and approval. Musbah said she had waited around two years after receiving a medical referral and had no clear explanation for the delay. Al Jazeera reported that Israeli security approval for her travel remained outstanding.

Musbah had received seven rounds of chemotherapy. Al Jazeera’s October 22 report said she was due for an eighth the following week while she continued to seek approval to leave Gaza for further treatment.