KARACHI: Approximately 10,000 children are diagnosed with cancer in Pakistan every year, yet fewer than 30 percent survive due to delayed diagnosis, limited access to specialized treatment, and financial constraints, health experts said during the second episode of “HealthWise,” a quarterly awareness series organized for media professionals by the Media and PR team of the Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN).
The session, focusing on childhood cancer and the urgent need for early detection, highlighted the stark disparity in survival rates between high-income and low and middle-income countries. Globally, nearly 400,000 children and adolescents develop cancer annually, with around 80 percent of cases occurring in resource-limited settings.
While survival rates exceed 80 to 85 percent in developed countries, outcomes remain significantly lower in developing nations due to gaps in early detection and specialized care.
Speaking at the session, Dr. Naeem Jabbar, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Specialist at IHHN, said that most childhood cancers are curable if diagnosed early. He noted that, unlike many adult cancers, childhood cancers are generally not linked to lifestyle factors and often have no clearly identifiable cause. With timely and appropriate treatment, cure rates can reach up to 85 percent, he added.
Experts identified delayed recognition of symptoms, inadequate supportive care, limited access to specialized centers, shortage of trained healthcare professionals, and high treatment abandonment rates as key contributors to low survival in Pakistan. The most common types of childhood cancers include leukemia, lymphoma, brain and spinal cord tumors, bone tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, and retinoblastoma. Treatment options such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy are available and effective when initiated early.
Dr. Sadia Muhammad, Head of the Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology; Dr. Ahmer Hamid, Consultant Pediatric Hematology; Dr. Ghulam Qadir, Pediatric Oncologist; Dr. Shamvil Ashraf, Consultant Pediatric Oncology and Executive Director, Medical Services Directorate; Dr. Muhammad Rafie Raza, Consultant Pediatric Oncology; and representatives from the psychosocial department were also present at the event.
Responding to journalists’ questions, Dr. Shamvil Ashraf said that late presentation remains one of the biggest challenges, as many families reach specialized centers when the disease has already advanced. He emphasized that community-level awareness is critical to improving survival outcomes.
Highlighting the scale of services at the Indus Hospital, Dr. Ashraf said that around 1,000 new pediatric cancer cases are registered annually at the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Department in Karachi. Since 2014, more than 16,000 children have been treated, with nearly 1,300 children actively receiving treatment at any given time.
He further noted the significant financial burden of cancer treatment worldwide, stating that a single chemotherapy session costs approximately $25, while complete treatment for a child can cost up to $6,000. At Indus Hospital, however, all services are provided entirely free of cost to patients.
Dr. Muhammad Rafie Raza addressed common misconceptions, clarifying that childhood cancer is not contagious and does not spread through contact. He said it is not caused by anything the child or parents did, and that cancer does not necessarily mean death. Early diagnosis and proper treatment significantly improve the chances of recovery, he added.
To expand access to care beyond Karachi, IHHN has introduced a Shared Care Model aimed at decentralizing pediatric oncology services. Since 2023, 414 patients have been jointly managed at shared care centers in Sindh, while 1,030 patients have been jointly managed at the Pediatric Oncology Unit in Quetta since 2021.
Through partnerships with government hospitals, pediatric oncology units have been established at SKBZ Hospital Quetta, DHQ Badin, Mother and Child Hospital Nawabshah, Sheikh Zaid Children Hospital Larkana, Dr. Zeenat Issani Institute Shikarpur, and Civil Hospital Karachi.
Health experts reiterated that early detection saves lives and urged parents, teachers, healthcare providers, and media professionals to raise awareness so that every child is given a fair and equal chance at life.
