MORE lives can be saved if the public is more informed about preventive screening for breast and cervical cancer, according to a think–tank.
There are 27,000 new cases of breast cancer reported every year in the Philippines, of which 9,000 have died.
A study by Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) senior research fellow Valerie Ulep showed that breast and cervical cancer screening in the country was far lower than similar screenings in upper middle and high-income countries.
Ulep said that many Filipino women do not have access to preventive screening for breast and cervical cancers, despite modern medicines that could resolve their afflictions, such as targeted therapy.
Advocacy groups like the Cancer Coalition and Citizen's Watch urged Congress to increase the P1–billion annual budget for the Department of Health's (DoH) cancer program.
There were also suggestions to give the DoH at least P5 billion each year to help it prevent unnecessary cancer deaths.
The P1–billion fund will only be able to help 200 patients who need to go through 18 cycles of chemotherapy, which costs P450,000 per patient.
The total economic burden of cancer translates to P35.3 billion per year in actual medical costs, wasted opportunity, and foregone productivity, according to the PIDS study.
A separate study by The Economist Intelligence Unit found that cancer was the third killer disease in the Philippines in 2017.
It also noted that the money that was wasted on cancer treatment could have been put to better use in preventing more cancer deaths.
