New radiotherapy unit established at JPMC

KARACHI: An advanced facility, called Breast Radiation Bay, has been created at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), which will help to offer free advanced facilities to thousands of patients.

The Bilquis and Abdul Sattar Edhi Breast Radiation Bay is being created after the joint effort by the government of Sindh, Patient Aid Foundation, and Edhi Foundation. The facility will soon be operational and will use latest tomotherapy technology, which costs more than one billion rupees.

Speaking about the advanced technology, Dr. Tariq Mahmood, who is the head of CyberKnife Department, says that the latest system will cut the treatment duration.

"The conventional radiation treatment for which 20-22 sittings were needed can now be completed in just five sittings," he says, adding that the advanced technology makes it possible to avoid radiation to the heart. The advanced technology helps to target the affected area while avoiding other areas.

The new facility will have the capacity to treat up to 160 breast cancer patients every day and thus hundreds of thousands per year. The new facility will also offer mammography, biopsy, latest CT imaging, and 360-degree helical radiation technology services.

Medical experts say breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women, including in Karachi, where registry data shows a consistently high incidence. Early detection and timely treatment are critical, as delays can allow the disease to spread.

Common warning signs include breast lumps, changes in size or shape, skin dimpling, abnormal nipple discharge or changes in nipple structure, though experts stress that proper diagnosis requires medical evaluation.

Health professionals stress that improving awareness, early screening and access to modern treatment is essential to tackling the growing burden of breast cancer in Pakistan.