Cancer now treatable, but more gov’t funds needed for testing - oncology specialist 

Cancer is now treatable thanks to medical advances and innovations, according to Dr. Marvin Mendoza, head of the medical oncology section of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.
 
Even at stage 4 or when a cancer has metastasized to other organs—be it the breast, liver, or cervical—there is hope for treatment, but even more so if it is diagnosed early. The medicines for many different kinds of cancer are already available locally, the oncologist said.
 
Going beyond chemotherapy, the government provides targeted therapies for two types of cancer: breast cancer and lymphoma.

For breast cancer patients who cannot afford the P300,000 to P450,000 needed to go through the required 18 treatment cycles, they can go to at least 23 public hospitals throughout the country for free treatment.
 
“Options for treatment include a subcutaneous injection that takes about five minutes to administer or a three-hour intravenous administration that also requires an additional two hours or so for preparation,” Mendoza said.
 
Only about 200 or so patients can be accommodated nationwide because the Department of Health was given less than P1 billion for this program.
 
“If we have to save more lives, we need more funds from the government, not just for treatment but for testing, because early diagnosis and treatment are far more effective than treating late-stage disease,” he added. — VBL, GMA Integrated News