METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: FINDING HOPE AND HELP

Husbands sending away wives diagnosed with breast cancer because they believe the disease is contagious. Women fearing that a biopsy will cause a tumor to spread. Patients turning to herbal remedies, believing these will be enough to fight cancer. And the belief that a cancer diagnosis is an automatic death sentence. How can the Philippines fight breast cancer when misconceptions and barriers to care persist?

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, a roundtable hosted by AstraZeneca examined these challenges, focusing on metastatic breast cancer, or cancer that has spread to distant organs. The discussion, “Beyond the Patient: The Ripple Effect of Metastatic Breast Cancer on Filipino Patients and Families,” brought together medical experts, advocates and journalists to discuss treatment, financial assistance and the information patients need to navigate the disease.

The message was clear: there is hope, but finding help often requires patients and their families to ask questions, seek information and explore available programs.

Understanding metastatic breast cancer

“Metastatic breast cancer is not a death sentence,” said Dr. Marvin Mendoza, head of the Section of Medical Oncology and Ambulatory Infusion Therapy Unit at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

Mendoza explained that metastatic breast cancer occurs when cancer cells spread beyond the breast to distant organs, including the bones, brain, liver and lungs. While it is not currently considered curable, treatment can help manage the disease. Advances in medicine have also expanded the options available to patients.

Breast cancer is not exclusive to older women, nor is it impossible for men to develop it. Awareness, screening and timely medical consultation remain important, while patients diagnosed at advanced stages also need access to appropriate treatment and support.

Knowing the numbers

The Philippines recorded 28,124 new breast cancer cases among women in 2024, according to figures cited during the campaign. About 65 percent of cases in the country are diagnosed at an advanced stage, highlighting the need for better awareness and access to care.

Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, co-founder of ICanServe Foundation, said patients must be recognized as people whose lives continue beyond their diagnosis. They may still want to work, eat out, meet friends and pursue their goals.

One media participant undergoing breast cancer treatment shared that her experience differed from the dramatic portrayals of cancer patients she had seen in movies, where they are often bedridden and appear to have little time left. She continues to live a normal life, although treatment and its costs remain realities she has to manage.

She also discovered that PhilHealth coverage did not cover all her expenses. Despite the Z Benefit package’s advertised maximum of P1.4 million, she still had to pay P90,000 out of pocket.

Her experience illustrates why patients need to understand the conditions and limitations of financial assistance before assuming all treatment costs will be covered.

PhilHealth benefits and the fine print

Since March 2024, PhilHealth’s Z Benefit package has provided coverage of up to P1.4 million for breast cancer treatment from Stage 0 to Stage IV. The package includes specified diagnostic procedures, treatment and surveillance services, subject to eligibility requirements and pre-approval.

Patients must also seek care at contracted health facilities. The maximum benefit is not an automatic cash payment to every patient, nor does it guarantee that every medicine or expense will be covered.

Mendoza noted that government programs, including the Cancer Assistance Fund and the Cancer and Supportive-Palliative Medicines Access Program, can also help eligible patients. However, patients may not know these programs exist or where to access them. Some hospitals are accredited to provide specific benefits, but patients can struggle to identify the right facility and complete the necessary paperwork.

Finding help through ICanServe

ICanServe Foundation works to help patients navigate breast cancer through information, community-based initiatives and connections to available services. Its role is particularly important for people who do not know where to seek treatment, what assistance they may qualify for or how to proceed after diagnosis.

Magsanoc-Alikpala urged people to take charge of their health, regardless of sex, and to seek information and screening early. She also reminded patients that support is available: “There’s hope and help.”

Patients can ask their doctors about treatment options, request information from hospital social service offices and inquire about eligibility for government assistance. They can also approach patient organizations such as ICanServe for guidance on available programs and referral pathways.

Hope begins with asking questions

Financial constraints, bureaucracy, misinformation and limited access to accredited facilities can make cancer care difficult to navigate. Yet patients do not have to figure everything out alone.

The roundtable’s message was not that treatment is easy or that financial assistance will cover every need. It was that patients should explore their options, ask questions during consultations and forums, and seek guidance from hospitals, government programs and patient groups.

As Mendoza emphasized, medical evidence must translate into help that reaches communities. Knowing that a program exists is only the first step. Patients must also know where to go and how to access it.

For people facing metastatic breast cancer, hope can begin with a practical step: Finding reliable information, asking for help and learning which services are available.