Gaza siege pushes breast cancer patients into crisis

At Yafa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, Esad Darwish, 42, clutched her medical records as she waited in line to see a doctor. She first noticed signs of breast cancer in early July, but with the health system paralyzed by war and family burdens weighing on her, she delayed seeking care.

“I felt something was wrong, but mammography machines were not available,” Esad told Al Jazeera. “Every day I told myself I would go tomorrow, but responsibilities at home — from cooking and laundry to caring for the family — took up all my time.”

Since her diagnosis, Esad has struggled through a series of appointments and waits for results in a health system collapsing under the strain of war. Since the siege on Gaza tightened after the conflict erupted in October 2023, shortages of medicine, medical equipment, and specialized diagnostic services have worsened.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates there are about 10,000 cancer cases in Gaza, with more than 2,000 new cases each year. Breast cancer is among the most common cancers in women, and treatment outcomes depend heavily on early detection and timely access to care — both extremely hard to find in a war zone.

The only mammography machine at Yafa Hospital frequently breaks down, and replacement parts are hard to come by. Dr. Hala al-Buhaisi said women are trapped in a “vicious cycle of confusion and exhaustion” because of difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. “The war has cut off access to health services that were meant to detect and treat breast cancer,” she said.

Since the war began, Yafa Hospital has recorded at least a 40% increase in cancer cases diagnosed at late stages. According to Dr. al-Buhaisi, more than 4,000 women are still waiting to be evacuated from Gaza to complete treatment, and delays could have severe consequences. “Out of every 100 cases, we lose 5 patients due to delays in movement — that is a dangerous sign.”

Shortages of radiation therapy and cancer drugs are also slowing recovery. Patients also need psychological support, but living conditions in Gaza — marked by anxiety, distress, and grief — add mental strain and affect their ability to recover.

Oncologist Omar al-Za'anin stressed that mammography is the first line of defense for early breast cancer detection. Late diagnosis means fewer treatment options or more aggressive interventions. “This device can detect small tumors before clinical symptoms appear, at a stage where treatment is more effective. The earlier the disease is detected, the higher the chance of recovery and survival — up to more than 95%.”

The story of Marah Ghabayen, 28, mother of a 4-year-old girl, illustrates the consequences of this crisis. She was diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer and was waiting to be transferred out of Gaza for treatment. While waiting, she had no access to proper treatment due to drug shortages, and her family said she was given expired medication. On her way out of Gaza, Marah suffered two cardiac arrests and died at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.

“I saw her holding onto hope despite the pain,” Marah's mother, Samaher Aldeni, told Al Jazeera. “She was just waiting for a chance to get treatment and return to her daughter. The hardest part was watching time pass while her condition kept getting worse.” Esraa, Marah's 4-year-old daughter, now faces life without her mother amid the escalating war. “She keeps asking about her mother and waiting for her to come back. She doesn't understand why her mother was late and didn't return,” Samaher said.