MANILA, Philippines - In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Makati Medical Center’s Cancer Center and Breast Clinic held two lay forums on breast cancer detection, cure and care.
Dr. Francisco Chung Jr., senior scientist of MakatiMed’s Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory, talked to healthcare providers, hospital guests and patients about the value of molecular and genetic testing in breast cancer. He said breast cancer is complicated as it “is not a single homogeneous disease but consists of multiple disease states.†He also mentioned that tissue biopsies are hard to obtain and mammograms may not detect small tumors, especially in young women.
With molecular and genetic testing, Chung said patients are guided with “accurate pre-symptomatic prediction of disease and drug response.†This will in turn help improve doctors’ clinical decision-making and lower medical costs in the long run.
Chung shared the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved MammaPrint, which predicts the risk of breast cancer recurrence, and Oncotype Dx, which assesses the likely benefit from certain types of chemotherapy.
Through the hospital’s Pathology and Laboratories Department, patients can choose to undergo Breast Cancer Molecular Profiling. “This molecular profiling, when integrated with other laboratory test results, can help doctors formulate a treatment plan based on the unique characteristics of the tumor,†Chung said.
MakatiMed also hosted “Springs of Hope,†a lay forum with topics about living and dealing with this disease. Discussions included myths surrounding breast cancer (Myth BUSTers) and issues about pain and palliative care, plus a session featuring testimonials from breast cancer survivors. Among the attendees was jeweler, Allure columnist and cancer survivor Michelle Dayrit-Soliven.
Breast cancer is a tumor (cancerous cells that have the ability to spread to other sites in the body) arising from the cells of the breast. According to the Department of Health, breast cancer is the leading cancer among Filipinos, overtaking lung cancer for both sexes in 2011. It accounts for 15 percent of all cancers and almost 30 percent of all female cancers.
(For more information, contact MakatiMed On-Call at 8888-999, e-mail mmc@makatimed.net.ph or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.)