THE National Integrated Cancer Control Act or House Bill 6153—if passed into law—will provide cancer centers throughout the country and dedicate funding to cancer treatments and patient assistance. Primarily authored by Quezon City District 5 Representative Alfred Vargas, it will serve as a landmark legislation in aid to thousands of Filipinos fighting cancer, across all types of cancer, from all ages and all stages.
The bill aims for the establishment of an integrated, robust, well-connected, accredited network of cancer care centers in strategic areas of the country; strengthening of the human resource complement; optimizing quality health care systems; improvement in the information systems; expansion and introduction of innovative PhilHealth benefits for cancers patients, persons living with cancer, survivors, their families and care givers, among other provisions.
Vargas admitted he has taken this as part of his personal advocacy because he has witnessed for himself how his mother “got wasted” away because of the big C.
Cancer remains to be one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. In her presentation during the annual cancer convention, Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO) President Dr. Claire Soliman revealed that recent studies show a steady increase in global cancer incidence.
In the Philippines alone, roughly 141,021 cases were reported in 2018. The top cancer sites for women include breast, cervix, colorectal, lung and ovary, while for men, lung, colorectal, prostate, liver and leukemia remain most common. Among the leading types of cancer in the country—breast, lung, liver, colorectal and cervix—three are preventable (lung, liver and cervix) while the remaining two can be cured if detected early (breast and colorectal).
Despite the rise in cancer cases, there is good news.
“Cancer care in the country has continued to expand and improve. The last five years has seen a surge in the availability of world-class cancer treatment modalities in the Philippines,” shared Soliman.
“Surgeons can now offer more minimally invasive procedures, new state-of-the-art radiation therapies have emerged, and medicines other than chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are now available, such as targeted therapy, monoclonal antibodies and immunotherapy. Gone are the days of patients undergoing chemotherapy and suffering from the side effects such as hair loss, vomiting or loss of appetite. New medications have less to no side effects and those that remain can be ameliorated with adjunct medications.”
Alongside the advent of new cancer therapies is the emergence of an increasing number of alternative treatments to mainstream cancer care. “While these may be enticing to patients, it is still important to fully understand what these alternative therapies can actually do—and what they can’t do—so patients can make educated and informed decisions with their oncologists and doctors about their treatment plan,” Soliman explained.
“As information dissemination is one of PSMO’s main missions, we strive to arm the public with as much information as possible about cancer treatment modalities,” explained Dr. Ellie May Villegas, PSMO multimedia committee member. “Patients who chose alternative methods of treatment, instead of standard research-backed cancer care, can face several risks including unknown side effects, safety and effectively issues, quality control concerns, and potentially allowing tumors and cancer to spread past the point that standard treatment may no longer work.”
The PSMO held its annual cancer convention in partnership with the American Society of Clinical Oncology during the Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October). The convention brought together oncology experts from the Philippines and around the world to discuss the latest research, innovations and advances in cancer care.
This yearly conference gives cancer care experts a venue to share new initiatives and best practices. Discussions, news and important research findings are then shared with the media and the public to help push continued cancer education.
According to the PSMO, the most important thing for patients is still education and knowing the facts. The more a patient is empowered with the facts, the more he can make educated decisions with his doctors on the right course of safe and effective treatment for him. With all the new innovations available, cancer need not be a death sentence.
Medical and technological advances have resulted in more cancer patients surviving the dreaded disease. Innovative cancer medicines backed by clinical trials, personalized health care, proper and accurate diagnosis, targeted and biologic therapies, multidisciplinary treatment, side-effect management and major successes in previous cancer cases have all contributed to better outcomes and improved quality of life.