‘Longer we wait, worse it gets’: Struggle of Gaza’s breast cancer patients

Hiba Musbah, a 36-year-old mother of three from eastern Deir el-Balah, has undergone seven rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer and faces an eighth next week despite her condition deteriorating. She has been waiting approximately two years to leave Gaza for further treatment after receiving a medical referral, with Israel yet to grant security approval for her travel.

Musbah first noticed lumps around her right breast in January 2024, shortly after Israel's war on Gaza began. Despite needing urgent surgery, it took two months for her to be operated on due to Israeli military attacks around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where she was being treated. Her chemotherapy was also delayed for seven months because medicines were unavailable at the hospital.

Diagnostic challenges

Musbah now struggles to access diagnostic equipment needed to assess her condition. She requires a CT scan but has been unable to obtain one at public hospitals. A private hospital offers the service for 150 shekels ($48), which she cannot afford, and waiting times can exceed three months.

"I am now suffering from pain in my back and leg, and I have not had a scan for three months because the equipment is unavailable," Musbah said. "My doctor told me he was concerned that the disease might have spread through my body, but I still do not know."

According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, the Strip recorded about 360 new breast cancer cases annually before the war, compared with 250 in 2024 and around 260 in 2025. The ministry warns these figures may not reflect the true number of cases because screening and early-diagnosis services have largely collapsed.

Health system collapse

In a statement on October 1, Gaza's Ministry of Health said repeated breakdowns of mammography machines and shortages of laboratory supplies had severely restricted early detection. Chemotherapy, hormonal and targeted therapies were also unavailable or critically scarce, while radiotherapy was completely unavailable.

Dr. Iman al-Haj Ahmad, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Hikmat al-Jamei Health Centre in Deir el-Balah, understands these barriers both as a doctor and as a breast cancer patient herself, diagnosed in May 2025. She waited about a month for surgery, eventually undergoing the operation at Nasser Hospital with a visiting Jordanian medical team under dangerous conditions.

Awareness amid crisis

During October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Gaza's Ministry of Health is participating in the international initiative with staff at Hekr al-Jameh Health Centre in Deir el-Balah running a campaign called "pink blooms from among the rubble." The program teaches women about breast cancer, demonstrates self-examination, and offers psychological support.

Sabreen al-Buhaisi, who supervises Hekr al-Jameh's primary healthcare services, said the centre had screened between 700 and 800 women during the campaign, with seven or eight cases referred to hospital surgical departments. However, free mammography is available at limited hospitals with long waits, while private screening is too expensive for many families.

Despite her own illness and two-year wait for treatment abroad, Musbah continues her fight against time. "I want to travel, receive treatment and get better," she said. "I want to regain my health and return to the way I was before."