Chandigarh, August 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) has supported 15,494 breast cancer treatments worth ₹26.59 crore across Punjab, helping eligible beneficiaries access prolonged cancer care without the added burden of treatment costs.
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said financial hardship should not prevent eligible patients from accessing quality cancer treatment. Under the scheme, eligible families can receive cashless treatment support of up to ₹10 lakh annually through government and empanelled private hospitals.
Breast cancer treatment can extend well beyond surgery and chemotherapy. Depending on the stage and biological characteristics of the disease, patients may require radiation, targeted or hormone therapy and long-term follow-up.
Dr Karuna Singh, Professor and Head of Radiation Oncology at the Advanced Cancer Institute, Bathinda, said the initial treatment phase could continue for several months, while some patients require targeted or hormonal therapy and follow-up for years. Regular monitoring includes clinical examinations and investigations to assess recovery, side effects and possible recurrence.
She said treatment for locoregional breast cancer may involve chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy, with hormone therapy where indicated. In metastatic disease, chemotherapy may be used with or without immunotherapy, depending on the individual case.
State Health Agency (SHA), Punjab data shows that women aged 50-59 years accounted for the highest number of recorded treatments at 4,515, followed by 4,141 among those aged 40-49 years and 3,557 among those aged 60-69 years. Another 1,332 treatments were recorded among women aged 30-39 years. The 40-69 age groups together accounted for 12,213 treatments.
Dr Manraj Singh Kang, Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology, Government Medical College & State Cancer Institute, Amritsar, said breast cancer treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation techniques such as VMAT, 3D, IMRT, IGRT and brachytherapy, as well as hormonal and immunotherapy.
He said breast cancer can have a genetic component and noted that cancers occurring in women in their 30s and 40s, particularly before menopause, may be more aggressive or hormone receptor-negative, including triple-negative disease. Among women aged 50 and above, hormone-positive cancers are more common and are generally less aggressive, with better prognosis particularly in Stages 1-3.
Dr Kang said surgical options include breast-conserving surgery, which may be possible in Stages 1-3, and Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM). The choice depends on biopsy findings, tumour size and number, lymph-node involvement and other tumour characteristics.
Rajinder Kaur of Sangrur underwent breast-conserving surgery with cryoplasty at Tata Memorial Hospital. Her husband, Parbu Singh, Parbu Singh, said the scheme enabled his wife to receive treatment without a financial burden and expressed gratitude to the government.
Dr Karuna Singh said the scheme was particularly significant for financially vulnerable families, adding that the majority of such patients are able to complete their treatment with the support.
The programme is intended to help eligible families overcome affordability-related barriers so that patients can focus on completing treatment, maintaining follow-up and progressing towards recovery.
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