Cancer law a miracle

There have been about 73 cancer-related bills proposed in Congress in the last 12 years. The wait has been very long, and uncertain. But, surprise, surprise, on Feb. 14, Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act was passed. The law is the first in Southeast Asia.

“I still can’t believe it happened in my lifetime,” says Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala. “It is a landmark case that the senators and congressmen overwhelmingly supported.”

The lawmakers tirelessly pressing for its passage were Senators Risa Hontiveros, JV Ejercito, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay and Loren Legarda, and Representatives Helen Tan, Chiqui Roa-Puno, Bernadette Dy, Alfred Vargas and Karlo Nograles. President Rodrigo Duterte made it a priority as early as 2016, along with Health Secretary Francisco Duque.

The law aims to decrease the mortality and impact of adult and childhood cancer, lessen the incidence of preventable cancer in adults and children, patients and families. It comprehensively covers all cancers, the continuum of care of a patient’s journey from prevention to diagnosis, palliative treatment, and survivorship to hospice care, and making cancer treatment more affordable and accessible to victims and their families.

The law is a gentle drop from heaven. Consider how many lives it could save, based on the report of GLOBOCAN 2018, which says that in the Philippines, there are 141,021 new cases of cancer every year and 86,337 deaths a year or 61 percent of the number of new cases.

Every hour, 16 Filipino adults are diagnosed with cancer. Every hour, 9.8 Filipino adults die of cancer.

Every hour, 11 Filipino children are diagnosed with cancer. Every hour, 8 Filipino children die of cancer.

“I know many expect the Cancer Law to dissolve all our problems. It won’t. Yes the law is imperfect, but it’s a great start at giving every Filipino  cancer patient a fighting chance. The implementation of the law will be another long and uphill battle because resources are limited.”

“The problem is overwhelming. We can’t do the things we’ve been doing before. We have to think out of the box.” She cites Yoshi Majima, founder of the Pancreatic Cancer Action, who is with Global Action for Cancer Patients who started a pancreatic support group made of longtime survivors. Yoshi inspired Kara to dream of having a cancer law, as he was instrumental in the creation of the Cancer Act in Japan. The law has exponentially improved patient outcomes in Japan.

Twenty years ago, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala  and three other  women breast cancer survivors like her – Crisann Celdran, Bet Lazatin and Becky Fuentes organized ICANSERVE Foundation.  “We were grateful for our healing journey that we wanted to  give back,” says Kara, a journalist, documentarian and founding partner of Storytellers International Inc. 

The four went where help was needed – public hospitals,  coffee chats with survivors needing one-on-one counseling, forums, and conventions. “Then we realized that wasn’t enough,” says Kara. “Our immersion made us fine tune our mission based on what we saw were the gaps, the unmet needs.” The foundation (which now has Crisann Celdran as board chair), is promoting early breast cancer detection, access to accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. It serves as a patient navigator, taking the cancer patient through the continuum of care from prevention to diagnosis to  palliative care, treatment, survivorship, rehabilitation and hospice. It has partnered with local government units to institutionalize a barangay-based comprehensive early breast cancer detection program with clear pathways to survivorship. This is enshrined in a local ordinance  with assured annual funding. Its city partners are Malabon, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Taguig and Panabo. It has held patient navigation training programs for these municipalities. Taguig has enacted a patient navigation law already, and in fact has one dedicated patient navigator per barangay.

Every  October, ICANSERVE stages a nationwide campaign on early detection in more than 20 locations around the country.

It also has patient engagement and empowerment activities. One of the favorite events of the  survivors is the Silver Linings, a homecoming for breast cancer patients, their families, and an interactive forum staged in an innovative, engaging way. Its fourth  event will be on Sept. 28 at the PICC.

ICANSERVE Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and “having the Cancer Law makes our celebration all the more sweeter,” says Kara.

ICANSERVE Foundation is now one of several organizations which are members of  the Cancer Coalition Philippines, which was created   in 2016 to push for a Cancer Law. The founders are cancer patient advocates familiar with the unmet needs of patients and their loved ones. Says Kara, “They’ve experienced  first hand what it’s like to lose a loved one who could have been saved if there were enough finances. They know what it’s like not to have access to cancer specialty hospitals and facilities. They know what discrimination feels like after having survived  cancer. Many don’t realize that cancer patients are people no different from people without cancer in terms of their aspiration. And for patients with Stage 4 cancers, people tend to talk about them as if they were the living dead.”

The board of trustees of the Cancer Coalition Philippines is made up of  Paul Perez, founder of Project Brave Kids, president; Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, vice president for internal affairs; Carmen Auste, founder of Cancer Warriors, vice-president for external affairs; Dr. Rachel Rosario, executive director, Philippine Cancer Society, secretary; Oliver Calasanz, executive director Carwell Foundation, treasurer, and Romi Mercaida of the Philippine Cancer Society, Dr. Ramon Severino, Philippine Society of Oncologists, and Dr. Claire Soliman, Philippine Society of Medical Oncologists, members. They  either are cancer survivors, or  have relatives who had the Big C.

Cancer is not the end of the world, says Kara. “If you know the cancer survivor the way I do, I can assure you, no matter their diagnosis or prognosis, they are brimming with hope and raring to give back. They fuel our mission and snap us out of cynicism, exhaustion and exasperation. It’s hard to give up when miracles happen like the Cancer Law.”

“Today, there is so much wrong and if you  look closely, so much right. We have to do what we can in our own little universe, to make that universe  a place you want to come home to.”

Twenty years ago, Kara was told she would never have children because of chemotherapy. “I have a wonderful 17-year-old daughter today. Wonderful doesn’t even come close to how perfect my miracle baby is.”

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