Breast and cervical cancer screening in the Philippines: Challenges and steps forward Editorial
| Authors: | Ho, F. D. V.; Arevalo, M. V. P. N.; de Claro, P. T. S.; Jacomina, L. E.; Germar, M. J. V.; Dee, E. C.; Eala, M. A. B. |
| Title: | Breast and cervical cancer screening in the Philippines: Challenges and steps forward |
| Abstract: | In 2020, breast and cervical cancer were the top 2 cancers among Filipino women in terms of incidence. In the Philippines, a lower-middle income country in Southeast Asia with more than 50 million women, majority of breast and cervical cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, as high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, the centralization of health human resources and infrastructure in the capital, and the absence of organized national screening programs preclude access to breast and cervical cancer screening. Low health literacy and gendered sociocultural pressures among Filipino women compound these systemic challenges. The recent passage of the Universal Health Care Law and the National Integrated Cancer Control Act in the Philippines is an opportunity to reduce disparities in access to cancer screening, with implications for other low- and middle-income countries that may face parallel challenges. © 2022 The Authors |
| Keywords: | adult; controlled study; major clinical study; note; cancer patient; cancer staging; breast cancer; cancer screening; health care cost; health service; cancer center; mammography; screening; uterine cervix cancer; breast examination; insurance; health belief; cancer control; patient attitude; stigma; cervical cancer; health literacy; papanicolaou test; public-private partnership; philippines; human; male; female; pap smear; middle income country; population health; embarrassment; universal health care |
| Journal Title: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| Volume: | 29 |
| ISSN: | 2211-3355 |
| Publisher: | Elsevier Inc. |
| Date Published: | 2022-10-01 |
| Start Page: | 101936 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101936 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PMCID: | PMC9361315 |
| PUBMED: | 35959499 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Note -- Export Date: 1 September 2022 -- Source: Scopus |
