St. Luke’s BGC launches specialized unit for treatment, diagnosis of blood cancers

St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) has launched a Dedicated Blood Cancer Care Service for its patients.

On Wednesday, SLMC – BGC Blood Marrow Services and Hematology section head Dr. Francisco Lopez shared the need to establish a specialized program focusing on treatment and diagnosis of blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

He noted that there were approximately 33 Filipinos diagnosed with blood cancer every day.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Lopez shared that he intended to establish a system where doctors specialized on treating specific cancers.

He also had the goal for speedy diagnosis and treatment, as timely action was needed when dealing with cancers.

“If I see 10 leukemia patients every month or I only do leukemia, then I'll really master the art of treating a leukemia patient… The more you do it, the better you become in that,” he shared.

“These are not just numbers; these represent lives and families profoundly affected by these diseases. We recognize that to provide the highest quality of care, we must move forward, we must move towards further specialization… In doing so, we ensure that our patients benefit from the care that is comprehensive, precise, and compassionate,” he added.

The SLMC–BGC’s Blood Cancer Care Service is built as a collaborative model between subspecialized hematologists and doctors in other specialties to create a comprehensive treatment plan.

On top of their model and specialized diagnostics, the hospital aims to raise the bar of blood cancer care in the Philippines in line with the hospital’s recent DOH-accreditation for the Cancer Institute.

“By providing this kind of care, very sub-specialized, we hope that we'll be able to translate this to better service… and by translating this to better service, better outcomes also in terms of their treatment,” Lopez said.

“Hopefully by doing so,  we will be able to provide better care and better service to [patients],” he continued.

Based on the 2022 Global Cancer Observatory Report for the Philippines, Leukaemia is the 8th in terms of the newest cases of cancer in the country with 7,026 or 3.7% of the new cases.

It was also the 5th highest cause of cancer deaths in the Philippines for 2022, causing 5,416 deaths or 4.8% of cancer deaths in the country.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, which affects white blood cells in the lymphatic system, is the 11th in terms of the newest cancer cases and cancer deaths in the Philippines. —LDF, GMA Integrated News