Advocates commit to early lung cancer intervention
‘We seek to challenge this alarming status quo by partnering with fellow advocate organizations at both global and local scale.’
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‘We seek to challenge this alarming status quo by partnering with fellow advocate organizations at both global and local scale.’
AstraZeneca Asia vice president Sylvia Varela.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ASTRAZENECA PHILIPPINES
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AstraZeneca Philippines takes another bold step towards redefining oncology in the Philippines as it joins arms with AC Health, Cancer Coalition Philippines, British Embassy Manila and the Embassy of Sweden Manila to pursue better outcomes for lung cancer patients. The organizations pledged their commitment to the cause in an event held at the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital in Taguig, recently.
Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the Philippines, continues to be a burden that is too heavy to carry for many Filipinos. According to the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) EpiCast Report, 62 percent of lung cancer patients are diagnosed when the disease is already at an advanced stage. Only two out of 10 lung cancer patients survive for more than five years.
“We seek to challenge this alarming status quo by partnering with fellow advocate organizations at both global and local scale,” said Lotis Ramin, country president of AstraZeneca Philippines. “By bridging between private, public and non-profit sectors, we can bend the survival curve faster and improve outcomes for patients with lung cancer.”
AstraZeneca, which co-founded the Lung Ambition Alliance in 2020, continues to follow through on its efforts to innovate lung cancer care in the Philippines, starting with early screening and detection. In 2023, the biopharmaceutical firm expanded community-based screening with the help of its partners and using technology like artificial intelligence, conducting over 280,000 scans to date. For 2025, the goal is to double this number.
Together with its partners, AstraZeneca shares the ambition of eliminating lung cancer as a cause of death. “It is a bold dream, but together we can make it happen,” said Ramin.
With more representatives from various sectors pledging to collaborate, the path to more accessible and inclusive cancer care becomes clearer. AstraZeneca and AC Health, which entered into a memorandum of understanding in 2023 to provide cancer patients improved access to innovative medicines, expand their commitment specifically to lung cancer intervention.
“Throughout all the partnerships we’ve had with AstraZeneca, we’ve been able to work together, strength on strength, to implement mutually beneficial solutions,” said Paolo Borromeo, president and chief executive officer of the Ayala-led company. AC Health’s Healthway Cancer Care Hospital — the first of its kind in the country — is dedicated to providing competitive end-to-end cancer care to patients.
Cancer Coalition Philippines, which has helped countless cancer patients through the years by working with the government and private sector, is bringing its experience to the table.
“We decided to partner with AstraZeneca because they believe we needed to look at the cancer journey and to address the care gaps. Just like us, they believe that it had to be done through the full cancer care continuum and patient pathway,” said Menchie Auste, senior vice president of the non-profit organization.
Two foreign envoys to Manila, Ambassador Annika Thunborg of Sweden and Ambassador Laure Beaufils of the United Kingdom, also pledged to advocate for the initiative.
The Swedish Ambassador sees promise in the movement. “I’m particularly pleased to see such ambition being turned into reality. It mirrors developments we have seen in my country, Sweden, over the years, which have been key to forming a high-quality healthcare system,” said Thunborg.
“A focus on early detection is absolutely fundamental. It makes economic sense, obviously, but it matters because it improves the chances for every person diagnosed, for their families, and their communities. The UK is committed to remaining a reliable partner for health with the Philippines and we will continue to champion these developments,” added Beaufils.
The organizations promise to spare no effort in helping shape the ecosystem for lung cancer care through collaboration, which paves the way for a healthier Filipino population.
