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ISLAMABAD, Feb 04 (APP): On World Cancer Day 2026, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) reiterated its commitment to providing accessible, affordable and advanced cancer diagnosis and treatment to patients across all provinces and regions of Pakistan.
Cancer continues to emerge as a major public health challenge both nationwide and the world over. Globally, cancer claims nearly 10 million lives every year, with the burden rising rapidly in developing countries due to population growth, aging, and increasing exposure to risk factors.
In Pakistan, more than 180,000 new cancer cases surface annually, with a significant proportion of patients presenting at advanced stages because of limited awareness and screening facilities.
PAEC’s nationwide network of 21 Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals (AECHs) treats around 80 percent of all cancer patients in Pakistan, making it the country’s largest public-sector cancer care provider. These hospitals collectively manage over 45,000 new patients every year and conduct approximately one million diagnostic and therapeutic procedures annually, ensuring life-saving services for patients irrespective of their socio-economic background.
PAEC cancer hospitals are strategically located to ensure equitable access to specialized cancer care across the country. In Punjab, major facilities in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur and Gujranwala cater to a large patient population, particularly those suffering from breast, head and neck, and gastrointestinal cancers.
In Sindh, PAEC hospitals in Karachi and Jamshoro, Nawabshah and Larkana provide advanced diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy and chemotherapy services to patients from urban centers as well as interior districts.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PAEC cancer hospitals in Peshawar, Abbottabad and Swat serve patients from across the province and merged districts, significantly reducing the need for patients to travel to other provinces for treatment.
In Balochistan, PAEC cancer hospital in Quetta plays a vital role in delivering specialized oncology services in a region historically under-served in advanced healthcare. Similarly, in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, the recently inaugurated AECH KINOR located in Muzaffarabad, ensure timely cancer diagnosis and treatment for patients from remote and mountainous areas, while PAEC’s presence in Gilgit-Baltistan has improved access to essential cancer diagnostic services for some of Pakistan’s most geographically challenging regions.
These hospitals are not just treatment centers; they are lifelines for thousands of families who would otherwise have little or no access to specialized cancer care, said an official press release issued to mark the day.
PAEC cancer hospitals are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, including PET-CT and SPECT-CT scanners, cyclotrons for radiopharmaceutical production, linear accelerators, brachytherapy units, and advanced radiotherapy techniques such as IMRT, VMAT and CyberKnife. Comprehensive pathology and laboratory services further support accurate diagnosis, staging and follow-up care.
To address Pakistan’s critical shortage of trained oncology professionals, PAEC continues to invest in human resource development and capacity building through structured postgraduate training programs at Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS).
At international level, PAEC’s Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), Islamabad, has been designated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as an Anchor Centre, recognizing its excellence in cancer care, training and research, and strengthening Pakistan’s contribution to global cancer control efforts.
Marking World Cancer Day, PAEC emphasized that prevention, awareness and early detection remain the most effective tools in reducing cancer-related mortality. The Commission underscored the need for stronger public awareness campaigns, expansion of organized screening programs particularly for breast and cervical cancers and adoption of healthier lifestyles to minimize cancer risk.
PAEC reaffirmed that reducing the cancer burden in Pakistan requires collective action by government institutions, healthcare professionals, civil society and communities. On World Cancer Day 2026, the Commission renewed its pledge to ensure that no Pakistani is denied timely and quality cancer care due to distance, cost or lack of awareness.