POOR HEALTH literacy and expensive healthcare costs lead to low confidence in cancer care in the Philippines, according to health experts.
“I think there’s really a lot of misconceptions in our culture,” Emmeline Elaine L. Cua-De Los Santos, surgical oncologist & breast surgeon, told BusinessWorld in a Zoom interview.
“I hope more doctors in my generation will be more open to sharing more about literacy because people are craving for it,” she added.
A survey conducted by YouGov revealed that the country has the lowest levels of confidence in cancer care across Southeast Asia, with only 34% respondents believing cancer care in the country is well-coordinated.
It added that although cancer awareness is relatively high, only 13% of respondents had undergone cancer screening, the second lowest in the region. Of the 13%, just 4% had taken specific cancer screening tests.
“In our culture, a lot don’t want to be diagnosed because they have misconceptions like cancer,” Ms. De Los Santos said.
“You’ll notice that, since we’re Asians, the pull of herbal remedies on our population is often stronger than that of evidence-based medicine and practices,” she added.
Health reform advocate Anthony C. Leachon added that low confidence in cancer care is also caused by accessibility and “financially burdensome” costs.
“While PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) may cover some procedures, access is uneven and often requires a doctor’s referral. For many, the cost alone is a deterrent to early detection,” he said.
The survey showed that 24% of respondents refused to get screened because it is too costly, and 23% said they do not have any medical coverage to afford the test.
In the Philippines, lung cancer is the most common type of cancer. Ms. De Los Santos said the average cost for a chest CT (Computed Tomography) scan to detect such illness ranges from P30,000 to P70,000, depending on the hospital or laboratory.
In the early stages of lung cancer, she noted that surgery in a private hospital would cost around P200,000 to P500,000 on top of the P40,000 to P50,000 chemotherapy.
“For other types of cancer, depending on which one, some stage 4 cases require treatment for a lifetime — until the cancer grows again, worsens, or returns,” she said. “That makes it really expensive.”
In August, PhilHealth began outpatient cancer screening tests under its new Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP).
Under the YAKAP, PhilHealth will cover mammogram (P2,610), breast ultrasound (P1,350), low-dose chest CT scan (P7,220), Alpha Fetoprotein (P1,230), liver ultrasound (P960), and colonoscopy (P23,640). — Almira Louise S. Martinez