Nearly 60,000 Afghan women get breast cancer annually - media report

KABUL, Oct 14 -- Some 60,000 Afghan women are reportedly developing breast cancer each year, mostly in the capital Kabul, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a private English paper the Daily Outlook Afghanistan on Sunday.

According to the paper, a survey conducted by a non-governmental organisation the Afghanistan Cancer Foundation (ACF) in 10 of the country's 34 provinces has found that Kabul has most number of the breast cancer patients.

"Kabul has most number of the breast cancer patients, followed by Balkh, Panjshir and Kapisa provinces," the paper quoting Jawad Safi, head of the foundation as saying.

Confirming the outspread of the disease, a source from the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said that breast cancer was the deadliest disease for women after heart diseases, the paper added in its report.

"Preventing breastfeeding, smoking and obesity are the major causes of breast cancer in the country," the paper citing a physician Nasrin Oryakhil as saying.

In the entire country, according to the media reports, there is only one oncology department with 65 beds, but with no readily available chemotherapy and no radiation at the state-run Jamhuriat (Republican) Hospital in Kabul, the paper added.

-- BERNAMA