Medical practitioners of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) are stepping up its cancer awareness campaign in line with the celebration of the National Cancer Awareness Month this February.
The SPMC Cancer Institute in cooperation with the city government of Davao and the Department of Health (DOH) has lined up activities for the celebration: February 13 – Sa Tamang Kaalaman, Kanser ay Maiiwasan – advocacy media tour; February 14-Fighting the Big C with evidence-based decision-making forum (Cancer Research in SPMC); February 15- International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day Celebration; February 22- Sa Tamang Kaalaman, Kanser ay Maiiwasan – advocacy media tour; February 27-Virtual Oral Case Contest and Sa Tamang Kaalaman, Kanser ay Maiiwasan advocacy media tour; and February 28- SPMC Lumps and Bumps Caravan: TINGin-TINGin, TANGTANG Bukol Caravan”.
Dr. Mae Dolendo, pediatric oncology and head of the SPMC cancer care committee, said public awareness is important for the prevention of cancer and what is available in terms of diagnosis, treatment, and knowledge not only pediatric but also adult cancers.
“Ngano February ang National Cancer Awareness Month? This is very close to the heart of the Dabawenyos because we know that in 2019 the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICA) was signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte (NICA Law). This law merong implementing rules and regulation na February is going to be the National Cancer Awareness Month. In fact, February 14, 2019 was the time that the former president signed the NICA Law,” Dolendo said during Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday.
In 2019, the former president signed NICA into law, which will help support cancer patients and their families.
“The law also assisted our patients, particularly the marginalized Filipinos. So we provided the Cancer Supportive Pallative Medical Access Program (CSPMAP) mga libre na tambal gikan sa DOH and these include cancer medicines,” Dolendo said.
Earlier this month, a group of doctors of SPMC encouraged Dabawenyos to undergo screening to detect cancers at an early stage.
They said that the most common cancers are breast, cervical, colorectal cancer (colon cancer), prostate cancer, and lung.
