ABSTRACT

This paper intends to discuss the most recent cures in

cancer namely chemotherapy, radiation therapy, gene
therapy, and targeted therapy in the Philippines. The
paper will also discuss the cost, side effects and the
availability of these treatments. The paper will then
study the diversity of the rich and poor and how this
diversity affects how treatment is distributed in the
country. It is also a study on how the government
organizations respond to the increasing incidence of
cancer in the country and how they help those who
are marginalized in terms of treatments. It is also a
study on non-government organizations acting more
to help the marginalized than the government.

1. INTRODUCTION

According to the World Health Organization, cancer Figure 1-1

is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can
actually affect the different parts of our body. It is a
class of diseases wherein a group of cells exhibits an The two graphs show us the type of cancer that is the
abnormal and uncontrolled growth, invasion and even leading cause of cancer deaths in the Philippines.
metastasis. Metastasis is the ability of the cancer cells This was taken by the World Health Organization in
to actually affect the other parts of the body. Others the year 2005. For men, trachea, bronchus and lung
may term this as malignant neoplasm. cancer are the most common cause of cancer deaths
in the Philippines while, for women, breast cancer is
1.1 Cancer the most common type of cancer that causes cancer
deaths.
This is one of the diseases that are being feared by
everyone. This is maybe because almost all the
people who actually have cancers may die especially
if the severity of the cancer is already very high.
Many actually believe that the cure for cancer is not
really effective and that those are very expensive for
someone who does not have the money to spend.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the
world. It killed almost 7.4 million people in the year
2004. It caused 13% of all the deaths there was in
that year only and this number keeps on increasing
every year. On the other hand, it is said that 30% of
the cancer deaths could have been prevented. Among
all the types of cancer that are present, lung, stomach,
colorectal, liver and breast cancer cause the most
number of cancer deaths and tobacco is the major
contributor to cancer cases. It is shown below the
number of deaths per type of cancer. [1]
According to the World Health Organization, in the
Philippines, there were approximately 44, 000
Filipinos who died because of cancer in the year 2005
alone as shown in the graph below.

Figure 1-2

Figure 1-3
1.2 Poverty
In the Philippine society poverty is often associated
with persons having no proper meals a day, no proper
job, no proper shelter and a like. In accordance to
this, Asian Development Bank’s meaning on poverty
is: “While usually associated with the lack of
incomes, poverty can be defined more generally as a
state of want in relation to a social standard. This
suggests an absolute notion of poverty that says that
every person is entitled to a minimum level of well-
being, regardless of how affluent others may be.
Measuring poverty relative to a poverty threshold, or
some predetermined consumption standard implies an
absolute notion of what it means to be poor. The
extent of poverty will be higher or lower, therefore,
depending upon how high or low the poverty line is
set. Commonly used measures of poverty such as the
poverty incidence, depth of poverty, and severity of
poverty are all taken relative to a poverty
threshold.”[3]
2. CANCER TREATMENTS
With the current advancement in medical technology
there have been various cures that were developed in
accordance to cancer patients. Some of these cures
are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, gene therapy
and targeted therapy.
2.1 Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, also called “chemo” is one way to
treat people with cancer. This therapy treats diseases
by chemicals that destroy cancer cells to prevent
them from spreading and eventually shrink the size of
the tumor for the surgeon to be able to remove it.
Chemotherapy works throughout the body. Its goal is
to destroy cancer cells wherever they may be, even if
they have spread to parts of the body far from the
original location of the tumor site.
Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells by
interfering with their growth, by preventing them
from reproducing, and in some cases, inducing the
cell to program itself to die. Also in some cases,
chemotherapy may be used to shrink a tumor so that
the surgeon won’t have a hard time to remove it
completely. Chemotherapy can also be given to
enhance the cell destroying effects of radiation. [5]
Today, researchers are developing newer
agents based upon their increasing knowledge of the
molecular structures within the cell that can be
targets for new compounds that interfere with the
cell's ability to grow and reproduce it, sparing the rest
of the body of other side effects.
However it is said that Chemotherapy agent
targeted for cancer cells can also affect the patient’s
normal healthy cells. That results in damage to
healthy tissue which is one of the main side effects of
chemotherapy. The area of these effects on normal
tissue varies depending upon the type of drugs that
are used and how the patient’s body reacts. But over
time, normal cells will recover and continue
functioning as cancer cells die off. Having this
treatment can also affect your bone marrow and the
body's ability to produce red blood cells. These are
some effects that could be experienced: [6] [7]
a) Nausea and vomiting
b) Mouth sores
c) Fatigue
d) Anaemia
e) Low platelets and white blood cells
f) Hair loss
g) Fertility (for women)
Chemotherapy in the Philippines is the most widely
use cancer cure. It is available in a lot of hospitals in
the country however it is said that each chemotherapy
session in the Philippines would cost around P50, 000
and the number of sessions will still depend on the
severity of the cancer. [4]
2.2 Radiation therapy
Radiation Therapy, also called “radiotherapy”,”x-ray
therapy”, or “irradiation” is the use of high-energy
rays or particles to kill cancer cells. This treatment is
used to cure cancer by destroying cancer cells,
controlling cancer cells to keep them from growing,
or reducing cancer symptoms by damaging their
genetic material that makes these cells impossible to
grow or spread. Although radiation damages both
cancer cells and normal cells, most normal cells can
recover from the effects of radiation and function
properly. Radiation therapy’s goal is to damage as
many cancer cells as possible, while limiting harm to
nearby healthy tissue.
There are different types of radiation. There
are certain types that can penetrate more deeply into
the body than can others. Some types can be very
finely controlled to treat only a small area without
damaging nearby tissues and organs. And other types
are better for treating larger areas.
There are also different ways to deliver the
radiation. It can be by External radiation therapy, or
by internal radiation therapy. External radiation
therapy is usually given on patients who do not need
to stay in the hospital. External radiation therapy is
used to treat most types of cancer, including cancer
of the bladder, brain, breast, cervix, larynx, lung,
prostate, and vagina. In addition, external radiation
may be used to relieve pain or ease other problems
when cancer spreads to other parts of the body from
the primary site. Internal radiation therapy on the
other hand, may require a hospital stay. It uses
radiation that is placed very close to or inside the
tumor. The radiation source is usually sealed in a
small holder called an implant. Implants may be in
the form of thin wires, plastic tubes, or seeds. The
implant is put directly into the body.
The difference of this treatment is it does not
kill cancer cells right away. It takes days or weeks of
treatment before cancer cells start to die. Then,
cancer cells keep dying for weeks or months after
radiation therapy ends. Radiation therapy does not
hurt while it is being given. But the side effects that
people may get from radiation therapy can cause pain
or discomfort. [15]
Figure 2-1
It is said that every session of radiation
therapy will cost the patient PHP5, 000 to PHP 8,
000. The treatment will last for about 30-35 sessions
depending on the disease.[16]
2.3 Gene therapy
Genes, who are hereditary from our bloodline, are the
basic physical and functional units of heredity. Genes
are exact sequences of bases that create instructions
on how to make proteins. Although genes are the
ones thought of normally, it’s the proteins that
perform most life functions and even make up the
majority of cellular structures. When genes are
altered so that the encoded proteins are unable to
carry out their normal functions, genetic disorders
can result. [8]
Gene therapy is a technique for correcting
defective genes responsible for disease development.
In most gene therapy studies, a "normal" gene is
inserted into the genome to replace an "abnormal,"
disease-causing gene. A carrier molecule called a
vector must be used to deliver the therapeutic gene to
the patient's target cells. Currently, the most common
vector is a virus that has been genetically altered to
carry normal human DNA. Viruses have evolved a
way of encapsulating and delivering their genes to
human cells in a pathogenic manner. Scientists have
tried to take advantage of this capability and
manipulate the virus genome to remove disease-
causing genes and insert therapeutic genes.
Target cells such as the patient's liver or
lung cells are infected with the viral vector. The
vector then unloads its genetic material containing
the therapeutic human gene into the target cell. The
generation of a functional protein product from the
therapeutic gene restores the target cell to a normal
state.

Figure 2-2
Gene therapy had some of its success in
curing cancer this was done by the Researchers at the
National Cancer Institute and The University of
Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
These institutions were able to apply gene therapy in
curing cancer. [9]
In the Philippines gene therapy was granted
accelerated approval by the Bureau of Food and
Drugs for the treatment of all solid tumours resistant
to chemotherapy. In addition, Rexin-G (gene therapy
variant) is approved under an expanded access
programme in the Philippines for use as a first-line
therapy for pancreatic and breast cancer, and as a
second-line therapy for all other solid tumours
refractory to standard chemotherapy.
However the cost of gene therapy treatment
is not without its cost. Gene therapy cost about
USD100, 000 or roughly PHP480, 000. [10]
2.4 Targeted Therapy
Targeted cancer therapies are treatments that target
specific characteristics of cancer cells, such as a
protein that allows the cancer cells to grow in a rapid
or abnormal way. Targeted therapies are generally
less likely than chemotherapy to harm normal,
healthy cells. Some targeted therapies are antibodies
that work like the antibodies made naturally by our
immune systems. These types of targeted therapies
are sometimes called immune targeted therapies. [12]
Targeted therapy is a general term that refers
to a medication or drug that targets a specific
pathway in the growth and development of a tumor.
By attacking or blocking these important targets, the
therapy helps to fight the tumor itself. The targets
themselves are typically various molecules (or small
particles) in the body that are known or suspected to
play a role in cancer formation. [11]
Targeted cancer therapy drug Nimotuzumab
was approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs
(BFAD) in the Philippines for the treatment of adult
and pediatric glioma. The approval for the drug was
based on clinical trials conducted in Germany and
Cuba. [13]
The cost of Targeted therapy ranges from
USD10, 000 to USD18, 000 per month. The
treatment is given every day until the disease starts to
recede. [14]
3.0 GOVERNMENT
In the Philippines, the national government has
launched different programs that are geared to help
the cancer patients. One of the biggest programs of
the government is the Philippine Cancer Control
Program (PCCP).
This effort is a product of the belief that
cancer can be prevented as a public health effort. The
program was first implemented in the year 1988
where they were able to provide guidelines for the
PCCP and specify the program policy, components,
implementing guidelines and timetable.
PCCP is actually an organized and
integrated approach in battling controlling cancer.
The most common objective of this program is to
significantly alter and reduce the morbidity and
mortality of cancer in the Philippines through the use
of the prevention in the primary, secondary, and
tertiary level in the different parts of the country. It is
to establish and maintain a system that combines
scientific theories and progress and its applications
that produces a comprehensive program that will help
control cancer incidence in the Philippines. The six
Pillars of the PCCP are Epidemiology and Research,
Public Information and Health Education, Prevention
and Early Detection, Treatment, Training and Pain
Relief.
The program implements different specific
programs that help prevent different types of cancers.
This can be very helpful because different types of
cancers may have different measures that need to be
implemented in order to control its number in the
country.
In the fulfilment of the program, PCCP
called forth local partners in the partner communities
all throughout the country that promotes cooperation
between the communities and the government, and it
was called Community-based Cancer Care/Control
Network (CCCN). CCCN was started in the year
1998 with the vision of a self-sufficient network of
empowered communities sharing responsibility for
total quality cancer care and control in the
Philippines and its mission is to organize, integrate
and nurture such a network. [17]
 4.0 NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION
In the non-government sector, there are also some
efforts that are being done to control cancer in the
Philippines. One of these is the Cervical Cancer
Prevention Program (CECAP). CECAP is a group of
health professionals and non-government
organizations in collaboration with the John Hopkins
Program for International Education in Gynaecology
and Obstetrics, Cancer Institute Foundation (CIF) and
UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that has
banded to promote cervical cancer awareness and
treatment.
Another non-profit and private organization
that is concerned with the increasing number of
cancer in the Philippines is the Philippine Cancer
Society, Inc. The Society envisions helping the
Filipino in the fight against cancer. To achieve this,
the Society pursues activities that advance the
knowledge of Filipinos about cancer, combat the
spread of the disease and to bring relief to those
afflicted with cancer. [17]
In order to fulfil the objective of the society, they
implement different activities through education and
information, service and research.
5.0 CONCLUSION
Based on the research above we can say that
Philippines do have a problem in the increasing
incidence of cancer. Cancer became one of the
leading causes of death in the country with 2005
having 44,000 deaths due to cancer.
Because of the ever increasing incidence of
cancer worldwide, there is an increase in
technological breakthroughs in curing this disease.
One of these cures is the radiation therapy where one
does not have to undergo surgery. However this
treatment is available with a price and it can really be
costly for patients that wish to undergo in this
process.
Since the price is this treatment is very high
do people from the marginalized sector get treatment
the same way as those in the upper classes of society?
Currently in the Philippines there is no way
for this people to get the same treatment as those with
money can. The government don’t have a program
that will help this people get cured the same way as
the others can. Instead the government is boosting its
prevention campaigns by teaching these people ways
on how to prevent getting cancer.
I believe this is a great effort since I know
that the government’s health sector don’t have a huge
budget. However those that already have the disease
have little or no way in getting treatment. Now this is
where non-government organizations steps in. these
small organizations have enough budget to help this
people get treatment. Although the number of people
they can help is still not high. At least they are
helping those who are afflicted with cancer.
Now this is a call to the government that
there are many of those who cannot afford treatment
of cancer due to poverty. This is a call to help these
people and increase the budget of the health sector in
order to help this people.
6.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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