MERELY one in every 100 Filipinas are being screened for breast cancer, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) said.
In a statement, PhilHealth noted how only one percent of Filipino women are being screened for breast cancer based on a 2023 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
"Only one percent of Filipino women were screened for breast cancer, translating to only 540,000 women out of an estimated 54 million getting screened," said PhilHealth.
It said such a situation results in most breast cancer cases being detected at advanced stages.
"The Philippines has extremely low breast cancer screening rates, which is linked to the country having one of the highest breast cancer mortality rates in Asia," it said.
"A significant majority, as high as 65 percent, of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in the advanced stage, greatly reducing the five-year relative survival rate," added PhilHealth.
In a bid to encourage women to get screened, PhilHealth said it has benefit packages for screening tests as well as treatment.
It covers selected outpatient screening tests for breast cancer, including financial coverage for a mammogram (P2,610) and breast ultrasound (P1,350).
The PhilHealth Z Benefit Package for Breast Cancer has also been substantially enhanced to P1.4 million from the previous P100,000.
"By providing extensive financial protection from initial diagnostic tests to complex targeted therapy, PhilHealth aims to remove the cost as a barrier and encourage patients to seek care early, thereby improving outcomes for a disease that is curable when detected in its initial stages," said PhilHealth. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)