The Ministry of Health is preparing to launch a national cancer treatment network in early autumn. The goal of this initiative is to consolidate disparate cancer care services into a coordinated, team-based, and trackable pathway of assistance.
According to a statement quoted by ISNA from an official ministry representative, patients entering this network will follow a clear route through all stages: diagnosis, treatment, and subsequent monitoring. This will eliminate the need to visit numerous different centers.
There are no plans to build new medical facilities; instead, the network will utilize existing capacity to connect specialists and medical centers. Patients will be directed to the most suitable center and team of doctors based on the type of cancer, the center's capabilities, the patient's place of residence, and other established criteria.
The network's activities are focused on improving the quality of medical care, enhancing service accessibility, and reducing the financial burden on patients. Key elements of the program will include standardization of clinical protocols, systematic patient referral, teamwork, multidisciplinary decision-making, facility capacity management, early detection, patient support, as well as electronic record-keeping and tracking of treatment pathways.
According to the representative, free cancer treatment does not imply unlimited access to all cancer-related services or medications for free in both the public and private sectors. The program aims to minimize out-of-pocket expenses for patients for covered services within the state system, and in certain cases, to eliminate any direct payments.
Recording data on patients, their referrals, follow-up care, and received assistance will help clarify the patient's current situation, confirm receipt of necessary services, and determine which center or party is responsible for the next stage of treatment.
Furthermore, the representative noted that the program will provide incentives for specialists and centers that join the network and adhere to its standards, such as registering important information, following clinical protocols, participating in patient referral and monitoring, and being accountable for the quality of services provided.
The first phase of the program will focus on breast cancer. Qualified centers and service providers will be identified, and the actual capacity of these services will be established. After early detection, initial assessment using imaging, biopsy, and pathology, if the cancer is confirmed, treatment will begin.
Ultimately, the success of the network should be evaluated not only by the number of services provided or patients registered. The fundamental question is whether the patient received the standard level of care—on time, in the right place, from the right team, with minimal administrative and financial barriers—and whether their path to the next stage of treatment was fully tracked.
The representative added that the program aims to cover other priority cancers in the country by the end of the current Iranian year, which is March 2027.
According to the Ministry of Health, cancer is the leading cause of premature death in the country. Annually, it causes more than 55 thousand deaths. Of 122 thousand premature deaths (under 70 years old), about 34 thousand, and of 85 thousand very premature deaths (under 50 years old), 11 thousand cases are caused by various types of cancer.
The top ten most common types of cancer in Iran include breast, prostate, colorectal, stomach, lung, bladder, thyroid, uterine, brain, and spinal cord cancer. Among Iranian women, the most common cancers are breast, colorectal, thyroid, stomach, uterine, leukemia, ovarian, brain and spinal cord, lung, and esophageal cancer.
Early detection through screening increases the chances of successful treatment and extends patients' lives. Fortunately, Iran is among the countries with advanced cancer treatment technology. This year, an Iranian research company developed a nanotechnology-based diagnostic kit for the early detection of antigens associated with Helicobacter pylori, which is the most common cause of chronic gastritis, duodenal ulcers, and stomach cancer.
This achievement will reduce dependence on imported products, improve the screening system, enhance patient access to diagnostic services, and decrease the healthcare system's costs. In 2025, Iran launched the first line of domestic production of electroporation systems, becoming the first country in Asia to master advanced cancer treatment technologies.
Electroporation is highly effective in treating various types of cancer, such as skin cancer, for example, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a common type of skin cancer that develops in the flat cells of the upper layer of the skin, melanoma, and breast cancer. To date, this therapy has treated over a thousand patients; in more than 200 cases, successful treatment prevented the need for amputation.
In June, a new cancer hospital was opened in Tehran, equipped with over 600 beds. This hospital, affiliated with Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex and managed by the Iranian Cancer Institute, includes departments for education, research, diagnostics, and treatment, ISNA reports.
The hospital also has 103 specialized beds, 19 operating rooms, 6 home care beds, and 12 emergency beds.
The history of the Cancer Institute dates back to 1949, when a cancer hospital was founded through a joint agreement between the Tehran University Medical School and the Red Crescent Society. The hospital provided surgical, pathological, and outpatient care to cancer patients across the country.
In 1950, a radiotherapy unit was established, and a year later, in agreement with the World Health Organization, the institute installed the first cobalt unit, and patients began receiving radiotherapy services. In 1960, cytology departments were added, and in 1962, experimental units. By 1970, when it was renamed the Iranian Cancer Institute, it was fully equipped and included pathology, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, medical genetics, and an experimental research laboratory.
Currently, the Cancer Institute consists of 14 departments and serves as a leading center in campaigns covering all aspects of the fight against cancer—from collecting population data (population-based cancer registry) to providing advanced patient care at the national level. Annually, the Iranian Cancer Institute treats approximately 10,000 cancer patients inpatient and outpatient.