Cancer surges in Kurdistan: +2,800 diagnosed in H1 2025
Shafaq News - Al-Sulaymaniyah
More than 2,800 cancer cases were recorded during the first half of 2025 in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, a senior health official revealed on Sunday.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Eyad Al-Naqshbandi, director of Hiwa Cancer Hospital, highlighted that the numbers continue to climb, particularly in October, which marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer accounts for around 20% of total cases, making it the most common cancer among women, with many patients having fully recovered.
According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health’s Cancer Registry, Iraq recorded more than 43,000 new cancer cases in 2024, with lung, colorectal, and leukemia being the most prevalent among men, and breast, thyroid, and colorectal cancers among women. The Ministry also reported a steady rise in cancer incidence across the Kurdistan Region, where rates have more than doubled over the past decade.
Al-Naqshbandi underscored ongoing challenges, including the maintenance of medical equipment, shortages of cancer medications and limited supplies from Baghdad, urging authorities and donors to support the hospital to ensure uninterrupted treatment services.
Noting that since its establishment nearly 20 years ago, Hiwa Hospital has treated over 90,000 patients from across Iraq, he stressed that fighting cancer begins with early diagnosis, pointing out that “rapid detection increases recovery chances and reduces the need for costly treatments abroad.”
Read more: Home or Hope? The Impossible Choice for Iraqi Cancer Patients
