The detection of cancer will soon become more affordable for Filipinos. This will be made possible with the establishment of a cancer staging center spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI).
The proposed Center for Nuclear Medicine Research and Development in Diliman, Quezon City, under the DOST-PNRI, will be a major center for diagnosing cancer and other noncommunicable diseases.
Among its facilities will be a medical cyclotron and several positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scanners.
A cyclotron in tandem with PET-CT scanning can provide better imaging and will be far more reliable for detecting cancer than conventional CT scans MRI, ultrasound or blood testing.
“Every year, 70,000 people die from cancer, and the best way to diagnose them early is through PET-CT scans,” said PNRI Director Carlo Arcilla.
While early diagnosis is key to getting better and timely treatment, the sheer expense is discouraging—sometimes beyond the reach—for many Filipinos. Cancer, diabetes, heart and lung diseases make up the top causes of annual deaths in the Philippines.
PET-CT scanning currently costs around P40,000 to P60,000. But it will cost only around P20,000 to P25,000—about 50 percent cheaper—with the proposed nuclear medicine facility.
As the Philippines only has four cyclotron facilities and 11 PET-CT scanners, and with most of these facilities located in Metro Manila, lowering the cost of PET-CT scans remains quite a hurdle for the medical sector.
Government investment in cyclotron and imaging facilities will go a long way in making the procedure more available across the country, said Dr. Thomas Neil Pascual, an international expert on nuclear medicine and DOST-Balik Scientist spearheading the project.
“We really have few operational medical cyclotrons in the country, which limits our access in terms of cost and technology,” Pascual said.
Cyclotrons produce important radiopharmaceuticals, such as Fluorine-18, which are used for PET-CT scans.
When taken in by the patient, these special drugs emit low doses of radiation which are otherwise not harmful.
Radiation is used to provide images of organs, such as the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver and thyroid. The images are, in turn, studied by doctors to find any tell-tale signs of particular diseases like cancer.
Apart from serving as a diagnostic center, the proposed facility will also serve as a training hub for current and aspiring nuclear-medicine practitioners in the country.
Despite the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, the planning of the center pushed through. The DOST-PNRI aims to complete the Center for Nuclear Medicine Research and Development in at least two years.
With the new facilities, the institute believes it will help lower the costs in a life-saving effort to bring among the most advanced medical technologies closer to Juan and Juana de la Cruz.
Image credits: DOST-PNRI