Saving more lives through breast cancer awareness

Breast cancer occurs when abnormal breast cells expand and form tumors uncontrollably. It can cause breast lumps, a change in shape or size, or even nipple discharge. According to World Health Organization (WHO), “breast cancer cells begin inside the milk ducts and/or the milk-producing lobules of the breast. Cancer cells can spread into nearby breast tissue and this creates tumors that cause lumps or thickening.”

Males and females are both prone to breast cancer, but females are usually at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, such as those with a family history of breast cancer, those with a history of radiation exposure, those who have reproductive history, and those who have undergone hormonal therapy or improper use of tobacco and birth control, among others. 

Globally, millions of people suffer from breast cancer. It remains the second most common disease affecting women, resulting in 2.3 million diagnosed women and 685,000 deaths worldwide. WHO added that in 95% of the countries worldwide, breast cancer is leading cause as the most fatal cancer among women, and 80% of breast cancer deaths comes from low- and middle-income countries.

Moreover, as a 2020 study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests 4.4 million women died of cancer that year and over one million children became orphan because of cancer. Children who lost their mothers due to breast cancer have suffered a lot, making breast cancer a cause of horrific impact on future generations.

“Countries with weaker health systems are least able to manage the increasing burden of breast cancer. It places a tremendous strain on individuals, families, communities, health systems, and economies, so it must be a priority for ministries of health and governments everywhere,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an article.

In the Philippines, breast cancer is a common type of cancer that can affect women of all ages. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), there are 25,000 new cases of breast cancer reported every year, 9,000 of which have led to death. Moreover, 70% of them belong to the lower socio-economic class.

“Previous data by the Department of Health (DoH) showed that 3 in every 100 women in the country will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. While women have a higher risk, the Philippine Cancer Society noted that the disease does not spare men — at least one in 1,000 men will have breast cancer in their lifetime,” PIDS reported.

In recent years, a wide variety of cancer treatments have been developed and made available for cancer patients throughout the country. For instance, the most common types of treatments include therapies (i.e. targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy), surgeries, and medication. 

Since breast cancer remains a large battle for the world to fight, it is important that more people become more aware of the risk factors, diagnosis, and treatments for breast cancer. Such knowledge can be key to preventing this disease or treating it immediately upon diagnosis before it becomes more fatal.

Through increased awareness, education, and proper access to healthcare services, the incidence of breast cancer disease can decrease.

“By providing public health education to improve awareness among women of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and, together with their families, understand the importance of early detection and treatment, more women would consult medical practitioners when breast cancer is first suspected, and before any cancer present is advanced,” WHO said.

According to a recent study entitled “Impact and opportunity: the case for investing in women’s cancers in Asia Pacific,” the Philippines is found to be among the countries that are leading with breast cancer awareness and prevention. The country, noted the study, is committed to implementing many programs and campaigns that are focused on screening, preventing, as well as raising awareness about the disease.

For instance, the Philippines celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month every October to promote public awareness and implement educational programs that support communities, as well as breast cancer screening and health consultations for early prevention of the disease. 

However, the study also found that the country has poor performance in terms of healthcare access, diagnosis, policy and planning, and resource capacity.

In addition, citing a study published in the open-access journal Preventive Medicine Reports, the report noted that due to the inaccessible and unaffordable breast cancer screening in the Philippines, 53% of breast cancer patients are diagnosed without mammographic screening, resulting in late-stage diagnosis, which can be fatal for those patients. 

In addition, according to a study by PIDS’ senior research fellow Valerie Ulep, the country’s screening rates for breast and cervical cancer are lower than those of middle and high-income countries. Ms. Ulep claimed that despite the development of advanced treatments, many Filipino women still lack access to preventive screening for breast and cervical cancers.

Given this situation, calls for better funding for cancer programs have recently been raised.  For instance, an increase of P1 billion in funding for DoH’s cancer programs has been recommended to the Congress by advocacy groups like the Cancer Coalition and Citizen’s Watch. An additional P5 billion in funding to the DoH is also suggested to help reduce unnecessary cancer deaths each year.

More recently, a member of the House of Representatives has filed a resolution for purposes of increasing breast cancer awareness.

“With the alarming growth of breast cancer cases in the Philippines, there is a need to strengthen dedicated programs against breast cancer and to allocate adequate budgetary support for programs involving early detection in hospitals and at the local level,” House Deputy Speaker Camille Vilar said in a statement.

“There is a seeming absence of comprehensive screening programs especially in far-flung areas, thereby depriving women to seek immediate early screening or medical help,” Ms. Villar added.

“Considering that one of the goals of the national economy is more equitable distribution of opportunities and raising the quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged, it is high time that those who are less in life be given the lifeline to fight cancer despite their lack of resources,” she continued. — Angela Kiara S. Brillantes