Ang Kagawaran ng Kagalingan at Pagpapaunlad Panlipunan o Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ay isang ahensya ng gobyerno na namamahala sa pagbuo, pagtupad, at pag-coordinate ng mga patakaran ukol sa pagprotekta at paglutas ng kahirapan sa bansa para sa kapakanan ng mga naghihirap at ng mga nasa hindi magandang kalagayan. Kaugnay nito, mayroon silang mga programa kung saan ang mga taong nangangailangan ng ayudang pinansyal ay maaaring lumapit sa DSWD. Ang tulong na maibibigay nito sa kanila ay mahalaga sa pagbuti ng kanilang kalagayan, pati na rin sa pag-iwas sa posibilidad na sila ay makaranas ng krisis sa pananalapi dahil sa laki ng gastusin na pwede nilang malikom.  Isa sa mga naitalang programa ay ang Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations o AICS. Nabibilang sa programang ito ang DSWD medical assistance for cancer patients sa bansa, dahil maaari nilang bayaran ang iyong mga chemotherapy cycles o cancer medicines.

Ano ang Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) ng DSWD?

Ang DSWD Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) ay naghahatid ng tulong pinansyal at materyal sa mga nais magkaroon ng access sa mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng tao o kaya naman sa mga healthcare needs ng tao, kasama ang pagkakaroon ng gamot at pag-undergo ng mga importanteng operasyon.  Sa ilalim ng tulong pinansyal, ito ang DSWD AICS list ng mga healthcare expenses na kaya ng programang ito tustusin:

• Bayarin sa ospital
• Gamot at treatments
• Mga kagamitang medikal (prosthetics, wheelchair, hearing aids, atbp.)
• Mga prosesong laboratory at diagnostics
• Therapy at rehabilitasyon
• Hemodialysis sa mga mayroong kidney failure
• Chemotherapy at iba pang cancer treatments
• Mga medikal na operasyon
• Mga orthopedic implants at prostheses para sa mga nagkaroon ng severe injuries sa kanilang joints o nangangailangan sumailalim ng joint replacement surgery 
• Komplikasyon pagkatapos ng panganganak

Maliban dito, ang AICS ay naghahandog din ng pinansyal na tulong sa libing, transportasyon (sa loob lamang ng Pilipinas), edukasyon, pagkain, at iba pang sitwasyon na pwedeng ituring nasa krisis ng Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Sino ang pwedeng kumuha ng AICS?

Kahit sino ay pwedeng makapag-apply para kumuha ng AICS DSWD financial assistance. Ayon sa Senate Bill No. 2328, ang sinumang tao o pamilya na kinikilalang nasa state of active crisis o crisis situation ng isang Department of Social Welfare and Development Social Worker ay maaaring magrequest ng na mapasama sa Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. Kasama dito ang mga:

• Persons with disability (PWD)
• Senior citizens
• Solong magulang
• Magsasaka
• Mangingisda

Ano ang mga requirements para sa AICS application?

Ang mga DSWD AICS requirements na kailangan mong ihanda ay nakadepende sa anong klaseng tulong na pinansyal ang gusto mong kunin. Maliban sa AICS DSWD form na ginagamit sa pag-aapply na mainam mong kumpletuhin at siguraduhin na tama, ang mga sumusunod ay ang mga ibang dokumento na kailangan mong i-hain para sa programang ito:

Para sa mga bayarin sa ospital o hospital bill:

1. Valid identification card o anumang alternatibong dokumento para sa pagkakakilanlan kung wala kang ID (ang mga batang hindi nakatalang mag-aaral sa eskwelahan, indigenous people, mga biktima ng sunog, bagyo o iba pang kalamidad o sakuna ay maaaring exempted dito)
2. Medical certificate / Clinical abstract / Certificate of Confinement (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
3. Hospital bill o Statement of Account (kung may natitirang balance pa sa ospital)
4. Promissory note (kung may natitirang balance pa sa ospital)
5. Social Case Study Report

Para sa DSWD medical assistance cancer requirements (chemotherapy treatments at cancer medicines):

1. Valid identification card o anumang alternatibong dokumento para sa pagkakakilanlan kung wala kang ID (ang mga batang hindi nakatalang mag-aaral sa eskwelahan, indigenous people, mga biktima ng sunog, bagyo o iba pang kalamidad o sakuna ay maaaring exempted dito)
2. Medical certificate / Clinical abstract (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
3. Reseta ng cancer medicine (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
4. Treatment Protocol
5. Official Price Quotation
6. Social Case Study Report

Para sa therapy at iba pang mga treatments at gamot:

1. Valid identification card o anumang alternatibong dokumento para sa pagkakakilanlan kung wala kang ID (ang mga batang hindi nakatalang mag-aaral sa eskwelahan, indigenous people, mga biktima ng sunog, bagyo o iba pang kalamidad o sakuna ay maaaring exempted dito)
2. Medical certificate / Clinical abstract (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
3. Reseta ng gamot (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
4. Laboratory’s request / Doctor’s Order (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
5. Certification ng Psychiatrist / Psychologist
6. Official Price Quotation

Para sa hemodialysis treatment:

1. Valid identification card o anumang alternatibong dokumento para sa pagkakakilanlan kung wala kang ID (ang mga batang hindi nakatalang mag-aaral sa eskwelahan, indigenous people, mga biktima ng sunog, bagyo o iba pang kalamidad o sakuna ay maaaring exempted dito)
2. Medical certificate / Clinical abstract / Certificate of Confinement (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
3. Reseta ng mga gamot o injection(kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
4. Laboratory’s request galing sa doktor (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
5. Official Price Quotation ng dialysis, mga gamot, or laboratory

Para sa mga assistive devices tulad prosthetics, wheelchair, hearing aids, at iba pa:

1. Valid identification card o anumang alternatibong dokumento para sa pagkakakilanlan kung wala kang ID (ang mga batang hindi nakatalang mag-aaral sa eskwelahan, indigenous people, mga biktima ng sunog, bagyo o iba pang kalamidad o sakuna ay maaaring exempted dito)
2. Medical certificate / Clinical abstract (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
3. Reseta o request ng assistive devices (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
4. Social Case Study Report

Para sa orthopedic implants at protheses:

1. Valid identification card o anumang alternatibong dokumento para sa pagkakakilanlan kung wala kang ID (ang mga batang hindi nakatalang mag-aaral sa eskwelahan, indigenous people, mga biktima ng sunog, bagyo o iba pang kalamidad o sakuna ay maaaring exempted dito)
2. Medical certificate / Clinical abstract (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
3. Reseta ng implant o prostheses (kinakailangang naibigay ito sa loob ng tatlong (3) buwan)
4. Social Case Study Report

Ang mga DSWD medical requirements na nabanggit ay importante para ma-proseso ng maayos ang iyong application. Pwedeng mapabilis din ito at makuha mo ang iyong approval sa panahon na iyong inaasahan. 

Paano mag-apply para sa DSWD AICS program?

Ito ang iyong step-by-step guide kung ano ang proseso sa pag-apply para sa AICS para sa iyong madaling pag-unawa. Gawin lamang na intindihin ng mabuti ang AICS DSWD guidelines na nakasaad dito para mas mapadali ang iyong pag-apply: Step 1 Pumunta sa Department of Social Welfare and Development Central Office (Constitution Hills, Batasan Complex, Quezon City) o sa kahit anong regional o satellite offices ng DSWD. Matatagpuan ang ilang mga satellite offices ng Department of Social Welfare and Development sa mga sumusunod na lugar:

• CAMANAVA Satellite Office - 2nd Floor, Victory Central Mall, Rizal Avenue, Monumento, Caloocan City
• Baclaran Satellite Office - 2nd Floor, Victory Food Market, Parañaque City (Katabi ng Baclaran Church)
• San Jose del Monte Satellite Office - 4th Floor Government Center Starmall, Kaypian, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan
• Pasig Satellite Office - 2nd Floor, Lianas Supermarket, Caruncho Ave., Pasig City (Katabi ng Pasig Mega Market) 
• Legarda Satellite Office - Gastambide St., Sampaloc, Manila
• Rodriguez Satellite Office - J. P. Rizal St., Rodriguez, Rizal

Step 2 Pagdating sa opisina ng Department of Social Welfare and Development, ipacheck ang iyong mga dokumento sa isang social worker. Kasama rin dito ang DSWD medical assistance form. Step 3  Ikaw ay iinterbyuhin ng social worker ukol sa iyong sitwasyon at sa klase ng tulong na hinihingi mo sa kanila. Maaaring silang magrekomenda ng iba pang programa kung sa tingin nila mas angkop ito sa iyong kinalalagyan. Step 4  Kapag ikaw ay naaprubahan ng social worker at ng Approving Officer, magsusumite ang social worker ng kahilingan para makakuha ng sa isang Guarantee Letter (GL) o medical cash aid. Step 5  Maaaring tumagal ng ilang araw bago mo makuha ang Guarantee Letter o medical cash aid. Kapag pwede mo na itong kunin, makakakuha ka ng text galing sa social worker na kunin na ito mula sa opisina. Kung kinakailangan mo ng karagdagang tulong, kasama na rito pati ang ating cancer patients na nagbabakasakali na makakuha ng ayuda, ito ang mga DSWD medical assistance cancer contact numbers na pwede mong maging ka-ugnayan ukol sa programa:

• DSWD FO NCR Hotline Number: (02) 8-733-00-10 to 14
• DSWD Central Office-Crisis Intervention Unit at Directline No: 962-28-13/951-74-33

Pati na rin ang kanilang mga email na cis.foncr@dswd.gov.ph o ciu.co@dswd.gov.ph

Meron bang DSWD AICS online application?

Ang Department of Social Welfare and Development ay mayroon E-services kung saan ikaw ay maaaring mag-submit ng mga application sa iba nilang programa, ngunit wala para sa AICS. Sa kasalukuyan, ang available nilang e-service ay para sa pagkuha ng travel clearance ng mga menor de edad na nagbabalak na lumakbay sa ibang bansa.

Ano pa ang mga ibang programa ng Department of Social Welfare and Development?

May iba pang mga programa — at serbisyo — ang nabanggit na ahensya ng gobyerno maliban sa AICS na kayang maghatid ng ayuda sa ating mga kababayang nangangailangan ng pinansyal na tulong ukol sa pagpapabuti ng kanilang kalusugan o kaya di naman sa pagbili nila ng mga kagamitan na mahalaga para sa araw-araw nilang buhay.

Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKaP)

Ang Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program ay may halintulad sa AICS, pero ang pagkakaiba nila ay ang programang ito ay mas nakatutok sa mga kinikilalang minimum wage earner o mga indibidwal na mininum ang sinisweldo kada buwan at naapektuhan sa mahal ng gastusin sa mga bilihin dahil sa inflation. 

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s)

Ang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program ay ang pagbibigay ng pera ng gobyerno kada buwan sa loob ng pitong (7) taon sa mga pamilyang kapos sa pera. Ito ay para sa ikabubuti ng kanilang kalusugan, nutrisyon, at edukasyon — partikular sa mga maliliit na bata at sa mga nanay sa pamamagitan ng pagtataguyod ng preventive health care, pag-eenroll sa mga bata sa mga child development centers at eskwelahan, pagbabawas ng mga kaso ng child labor, at panghihikayat sa mga magulang na sumali sa mga community development activities upang gumanda ang kanilang pagganap bilang mga haligi at ilaw ng tahanan.

Sustainable Livelihood Program

Ang Sustainable Livelihood Program ay para sa mga pamilya at pamayanan na kinikilalang mahirap at nasa laylayan ng lipunan. Ang layunin ng programang ito ay magbigay ng suporta at interbensyon para mas mapabuti ang mga lagay ng mga kasali sa paraang pagkuha ng access sa mga bagay na makakatulong sa paglahok at pagpapanatili ng ng maunlad na kabuhayan. 

Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens (SPISC)

Ang Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens ay kaakibat ng Republic Act No. 9994 o the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 na naglalayong mas isaayos ang mga kalagayan ng ating mga senior citizens sa pamamagitan ng pagbubuti ng kanilang kalusugan, pagpapalaki ng kapasidad na sa pagkuha nila ng pang-araw-araw at medikal na pangangailangan, pagbabawas ng kagutuman — pati ang kapabayaan at pang-aabuso sa mga senior citizen na kapus-palad, walang permanenteng source of income, o pamilya na sumusuporta sa kanila.

Kalahi-CIDSS NCDDP

Ang Kalahi CIDSS – National Community-Driven Development Program (KC-NCDDP) ay isang programa ng Department of Social Welfare and Development na tinutugun ang pagbabawas ng kahirapan sa bansa. Ginagawa ito sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng community-driven development (CDD) approach na tanyag na estratehiya sa buong mundo sa paglutas ng kahirapan, pagkakaroon ng magandang gobyerno, pati na rin ang pagtamo ng maayos na paghahatid ng serbisyo.

Malasakit Centers

Kaakibat ang mga programang nabanggit, ang Malasakit Centers ay tinuturing one-stop shop na pinangunahan ng DSWD para sa mga ilang ahensya ng bansa na nagbibigay ng medical assistance sa mga nangangailangan: Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development, PhilHealth, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, at Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. Sa datos na naitala ng Abril 2024, mayroong 163 na Malasakit Centers sa Pilipinas. Ito ay ayon sa batas na nagsasabi na ang gobyerno ay dapat magtayo ng Malasakit Centers sa bawat ospital na nasa ilalim ng pamamahala ng Department of Health at Philippine General Hospital. Miski ang Philippine National Police ay pinahihintulutan na maglunsad ng ganitong mga pasilidad sa bansa. Upang malaman kung may Malasakit Center ba na malapit sa iyo, gawin lamang reference ang listahan na ito.

Sa Kabuuan

Huwag na mag-alinlangan na mag-apply sa mga ganitong programa kung ikaw ay nangangailangan ng pinansyal na tulong para sa pagkuha ng pangangalagang medikal. Ang layunin ng Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) ay makapaghatid ng tulong sa mga pamilyang walang paraan para makapagbayad sa mga gastusing ospital, kaya dapat lamang ay samantalahin natin ang magandang oportunidad na makakuha ng medical cash aid sa Department of Social Welfare and Development. Lalo na sa ating mga cancer patients na kapos sa pondo para sa kanilang mga treatments at gamot, ang AICS na kumakatawan na ring DSWD medical assistance for cancer in the Philippines, ay talagang malaki ang mababawas sa mga umiiral na gastos ng ating mga cancer patients sa kanilang araw-araw na buhay. Maliban sa kanila, may mga iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno na nagbibigay ng tulong sa mga taong kapos sa aspetong pinansyal. Halimbawa, nandyan ang mga senador ng Pilipinas na kayang maghandog ng tulong medikal (ito ang list of senators with medical assistance para sa iyong gabay), at ang Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Medical Access Program (MAP) tsaka DOH Cancer Support and Palliative Medicine Access Program (CSPMAP) na partikular na nagbibigay tulong sa ating cancer patients. Importanteng maging prayoridad natin ang ating kalusugan. Ngunit kaakibat nito, dapat din nating maunawaan na hindi lahat ay may pribilehiyo na makabili ng gamot na kailangan nila o sumailalim ng mga treatments na makakapagpabuti ng kanilang kalagayan. Dahil dito, mahalaga na malaman ng tao ang mga ganitong programa para sa kanilang kapakinabangan at ikabubuti.

Mga Karaniwang Katanungan

Tanong: What is the DSWD program for cancer patients?

Sagot: Ang AICS program ay pwede sa mga cancer patients dahil maari silang makakuha ng financial medical assistance mula dito para sumailalim sa mga procedures tulad ng chemotherapy, radiation therapy — pati na rin ang pagtanggap ng mga libreng chemotherapy drugs at ibang mga gamot na kailangan nila para sa kanilang cancer treatments.

Tanong: What is the AICS program assistance to individuals in crisis situations?

Sagot: Ang programang ito ay para makapaghatid ng tulong sa pamamagitan ng pagbigay ng pera o mga materyal na pangangailangan ng tao upang bumuti ang kanilang kalusugan. Ang mga partikular na tao na tinutulungan ng programang ito ay ang mga kinikilalang nasa state of active crisis o krisis na sitwasyon.

Tanong: Who is qualified for AICS?

Sagot: Kahit sino ay qualified para sa programang ito, basta lamang ikaw ay kinikilalang tao na nasa active state of crisis o crisis situation DSWD social worker. Nabibilang din ang mga persons with disability (PWD), senior citizens, solong magulang, magsasaka, at mangingisda sa mga indibidwal na pwede mag-apply para dito.

Tanong: How much is AICS financial assistance?

Sagot: Ang kabuuang DSWD AICS payout na maaari mong makuha sa programang ito ay PHP 10,000 para inpatient care, at PHP 3,000 naman para sa mga bayarin na di nangangailangan manatili sa ospital. Ngunit nakadepende pa rin sa iyong kondisyon at sitwasyon kung magkano ang makukuha mong pinansyal na assistance galing sa DSWD. 

Tanong: How to avail cancer assistance funds?

Sagot: Maari kang makakuha ng cancer assistance funds galing sa Department of Social Welfare and Development sa pamamagitan ng kanilang AICS DSWD medical assistance o kilala rin sa tawag na Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations. Sa programang ito, sila ay nakakapagbigay ng pinansyal o materyal na tulong sa mga taong nangangailangan ito, partikular sa mga ginigipit sa pera.

Tanong: Is there a DSWD medical assistance online application method available?

Sagot: Ang ahensya na ito ay mayroong mga E-Services kung saan maari kang mag submit ng iyong application sa kanilang mga serbisyo at programa sa pamamagitan ng pagsasagawa ng online application. Ito ay para sa mga walang malapit na satellite o regional office sa kanila, o kaya naman ay hindi pinapayuhang pumila o pumunta sa mga offices.

More than being physically fit and keeping your body in shape, ensuring that you’re eating healthy with cancer-fighting food as you’re undergoing chemotherapy and taking other prescribed cancer medicines is beneficial for the entirety of your well-being. Considering that consuming a nutritious diet significantly lowers cancer risk, it plays a vital role in cancer prevention and management.counteract them However, contrary to popular belief, having a healthy diet doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to spend lots of money buying expensive food and ingredients. For Filipinos, if you’re asking yourself how to eat healthy in the Philippines with little money, then you’ll be pleased to know that there are tons of affordable local alternatives that you can opt for if you’re interested in making more nourishing food choices for yourself — with one of them being visiting local markets or palengkes to look for budget-friendly food components perfect for your healthy recipes suited for patients. It is essential to get the latest healthcare information from trusted medical platforms. For this reason, Getmeds Philippines Inc., an online pharmacy, makes sure to provide you with up-to-date health-related insights and facts. You may also like: Top 10 Food and Nutrition Myths You Shouldn't Believe 

Why Food Choices Matter in Cancer Prevention

Choosing to eat food that has great nutritional value and avoiding those that are bad for your health can contribute to reduced risk of cancer. It’s significant to know that there are foods that contain essential nutrients such as antioxidants, fiber, and natural anti-inflammatory agents which are recognized to help in boosting your body’s defense against diseases that can compromise your physical condition. Carcinogenic foods, also known as foods that have substances which can increase one’s risk of developing malignant tumors, is often part of the typical Filipino diet even when we’re not aware of it. These types of foods are commonly processed meats, instant noodles, and red meat among others. As is often the case, people do not make the effort of making their food nutritious because of how some are convinced that it’s a high maintenance task to do. They think that buying the ingredients alone wouldn’t be cost-effective, and that the components that make a healthy meal would mean spending a significant amount of money that wouldn’t be practical if you’re already spending on anticancer drugs. Nonetheless, there are plenty of more affordable options that you can rely on to still ensure that you’re nourishing yourself properly with the food that you eat and even the beverages you consume.  As mentioned, you can make a trip to the palengke and opt to buy your cooking ingredients there for a cheap alternative to expensive healthy foods in the Philippines. Moreover, you can look through the kind of food that are sold for a cheaper price but are still nutritious and can help in lowering cancer risk. There definitely isn’t a rule that in order to stay healthy and eat healthy, your meals should be made of expensive and high-end food items. Similar Content: Include These Healthy Diet Options In Your Daily Routine 

9 Budget-Friendly Filipino Foods That Lower Cancer Risk 

We’ve compiled a list of affordable anti-cancer foods in the Philippines to get you started if you’re interested in finding cheaper components for your nourishing meals and might be wondering what Filipino foods can prevent cancer on a budget, especially if you’re in the midst of undergoing treatments. Here are 9 cheap and local foods proven to lower cancer risk:

1. Kamote (Sweet Potato)
2. Malunggay (Moringa) 
3. Banana (Saba & Lakatan)
4. Pechay (Bok Choy)
5. Monggo (Mung Beans) 
6. Dilis (Anchovies)
7. Ginger (Luya) & Turmeric (Luyang Dilaw) 
8. Pineapple (Pinya)
9. Saluyot (Jute Leaves)

Kamote (Sweet Potato)

Sweet potatoes, or kamote, and its extracts are known to have high levels of polyphenols and anthocyanins, bioactive compounds that can bring on the occurrence of cell cycle arrest which in turn can lead to cell death — hence why this root vegetable is considered to be among the foods that prevent cancer. Particularly, purple sweet potato leaves have the most prominent effects in regards to breast cancer, while Carolina Ruby leaf and stem extracts work strongly against lung cancer. Other than the two aforementioned cancer types, it’s also said to stop the development of this disease in the stomach, colon, and bladder. And regardless if it’s an orange or purple sweet potato, it’s said that its peel extracts may have tumor-inhibiting effects (although it’s worth noting that this data is taken from test tube studies, and it’s not confirmed yet whether it has the same effects on humans).

Malunggay (Moringa)

Malunggay leaf extracts have cancer-fighting food properties that are claimed to fight against types of the malignant disease like breast cancer and colorectal cancer — and even other types, due to how it’s said to have the ability to stop uncontrolled cell replication. Alongside bark extracts, it has the potential to treat medical conditions other than the said oncological disease, which makes it an overall nutritious plant that has tons of benefits concerning our overall health and considered to be one of the best cancer-fighting vegetables in the Philippines.

Banana (Saba & Lakatan)

Bananas contain several pharmaceutical activities, with one of them being antineoplastic characteristics among others. It has the competence to kill off parasites in the body, lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, regulate the immune system, protect cells from damage, fight harmful bacteria, and prevent ulcers in the stomach. Moreover, because of how bananas are rich in fiber, it can help with preventing colorectal cancer. It’s also regarded to be one of the foods that prevent cancer along the upper gastrointestinal tract and other areas, thanks to resistant starch, a component that offers a lot of positive health outcomes and which is studied to be able to lessen the chances of developing cancer by more than 60%.  According to research, resistant starch can also be taken as a power supplement, which a dose used in the mentioned study is said to be already equivalent to eating a banana daily. As long as the banana is not too ripe, then it can help with growing healthy bacteria in the bowel.  Read more about the other advantages of eating bananas with this blog that explains the health benefits of adding this fruit to your daily diet.

Pechay (Bok Choy)

Included in the ways of how pechay can support overall health is how it has oncoprotective properties, as so do other cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts — all which are identified to be food for cancer. It can particularly help in preventing the heightened risk of developing the diseasein the lung, prostate, and colon. Additionally, pechay has selenium, a mineral not found in most fruits and vegetables. This nutrient can assist in detoxifying certain compounds in the body that may cause cancer. Not to mention that it also has the capability to block inflammation and for tumor growth rate to significantly decrease. Further, since this vegetable provides fiber, it supports regular bowel movement, keeping the digestive system healthy and preventing the occurrence of colorectal cancer from taking place.

Monggo (Mung Beans)

Monggo, one of our cancer-fighting foods sa palengke, contains a lot of healthy properties that bring a lot of health benefits to our bodies. One of them is how it has antioxidants that have the potential to suppress tumor growth in the pulmonary and gastric tissues.  Given how monggo is also a legume that contains resistant starch and fiber, both components that have been established to be good for the gut — it can boost the digestive system’s resistance against diseases like colon cancer. Further, for patients who are undergoing chemotherapy, eating monggo is also good because it increases hemoglobin levels, which is important since hemoglobin is the protein in charge of carrying oxygen from the lungs to the organs and tissues of the body. And for patients undergoing cancer treatments, there’s a tendency that they might experience low levels of hemoglobin that leads to anemia.

Dilis (Anchovies)

Dilis, a type of fish that is hailed to be a good source of omega-3, protein, and other essential vitamins. In addition, it definitely leans as being the more affordable alternative when you’re seeking for food for cancer that are rich with the stated nutrients.  It also has selenium, which again is the health-promoting substance that detoxifies certain substances in the body that can put you at risk of developing cancer, preventing inflammation from happening and for the growth rate of tumor to substantially lower.

Ginger (Luya) & Turmeric (Luyang Dilaw)

Among the health benefits that turmeric, or luyang dilaw, gives is its apparent ability to fight off cancer cells. There have been clinical trials that indicate that this particular spice may have the ability to combat cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, and colon. In addition, since turmeric has antiinflammatory properties, it can prevent medical conditions from arising — cancer being one of them.  As for ginger, or luya, it’s said that this cancer-fighting food can play a vital role in the mitigation and management of gastrointestinal cancer. It has the active components 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol which have cancer-inhibiting properties. Other than that, additional types of cancer it covers are skin, ovarian, breast, cervical, oral, brain, and pancreatic cancer. On top of that, patients with the oncological disease may find ginger to be antiemetic — also known as drugs that can relieve nausea and vomiting which are known side effects of chemotherapy. The same goes with curcumin, a therapeutic agent in turmeric, which can help people in the middle of their cancer treatments to have less side effects, thus enabling the entirety of their personal well-being to be better.  Related: CURCUMIN - A Fine Ingredient To Fight Inflammation 

Pineapple (Pinya)

Aside from being included in a list of cheap antioxidant-rich Filipino foods, it’s claimed that the natural antioxidants, terpenoids, and bromelain enzymes that the core, peel, and crown of a pineapple have demonstrates the possibility of being antineoplastic agents.  They manage to regulate oxidative stress, lessening the imbalance that happens in the body when it produces a higher amount of free radicals than what is healthy and lacks the antioxidants to counteract them, causing damage in your cells and tissue to occur. Moreover, it reduces chronic inflammation, a condition that puts you at risk of developing cancer due to how it damages DNA and promotes tumor growth. Not only that, but with pineapple having vitamin C, it also assists in preventing inflammation and the occurrence of colorectal cancer. 

Saluyot (Jute Leaves)

Just like the other foods that prevent cancer mentioned in this list, saluyot has a lot of pharmacological properties that can aid in lowering cancer risk and improve overall health. This is due to how it has antioxidant qualities, as well as effects that relieve pain and reduce inflammatory response. Among the cancer types it can reportedly lessen the risk of are human melanoma, gastric cancer, and pancreatic cancer. 

Unhealthy Processed Foods to Avoid

Alongside knowing what the budget-friendly Filipino superfoods are which can significantly cut your chances of getting cancer, it’s also vital to be aware of what kind of cancer foods to avoid in order to further prevent yourself from developing the said oncological disease.  Here’s a list of processed foods that may harm your health:

• Processed meat: This includes hotdogs, bacon, luncheon meat, longganisa, ham, tocino, and tapa. When you eat too much of these foods, you increase your risk of developing malignancy in the stomach and bowel. This is because of how processed meat — as well as red meat — contains N-nitroso compounds, heterocyclic amines (HCAs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that can damage the lining of the bowel and certain cells. Moreover, eating processed meat often can lead to weight gain which can turn into obesity if not managed.
• Instant noodles: As this type of food has high sodium content and has other additives that can be harmful to the health, it can elevate cancer susceptibility when eaten excessively. That’s why instant noodles are bad for cancer risk, as it’s also considered as an ultra-processed food, which can contribute to the emergence of other concerning health conditions. 
• Canned goods: Although canned goods is said not to be a direct cause to cancer when it’s included in a balanced meal, there are still some risks that come along with it due to how the lining of the can has bisphenol A (BPA) and the content itself has a high amount of sodium or salt. The latter component can be the reason why cancer types such as stomach cancer progress, while for BPA, there have been studies that suggest it may have cancer-causing effects.
• Fried street foods: With acrylamide being present in fried street food, a substance that can lead to the growth of malignant tumors, you can be susceptible to cancer. Acrylamide is  brought by high-temperature cooking, particularly in food that are starchy such as potatoes. In addition, fried street foods also have large quantities of trans fat, another factor why you may have a heightened risk of being diagnosed with cancer.

Among the foods mentioned in this list, some wonder if the question is processed meat worse than street food Philippines are grounded in reality, and truth be told, it’s said that the former is actually more unhealthy than the latter due to the fact that the health risks it has are more established and bear more substantial effects. More on this topic: Know the Foods must to avoid by a Colon Cancer Patient 

How to Make Healthy Eating Affordable

Now that we’ve established the kind of healthy yet still affordable food options you may opt for and also the kind of food that you should be avoiding if you want to be safe from cancer — let’s dive into other ways you can make eating nutritiously cost-effective.

• Buy in bulk at palengkes: Doing so will help you save money as food ingredients are cheaper in palengkes than they are in supermarkets. Their prices are usually very low and definitely within budget. Not to mention that they offer fresher produce and food for cancer too, as well as a wider selection of vegetables and fruits. 
• Grow your own veggies: Crops like malunggay, kamote, and others can be grown in your very garden if you have the space for it. Aside from eliminating extra money spent if you have to buy your veggies from the market — having your own can prevent food from wasting as you only pick out what you need, and can assure you that they are grown naturally and properly.
• Prep your meals in order to avoid giving into unhealthy food: By unhealthy food, this means junk food, canned food, and even takeouts. You can avoid resorting to eating these kinds of meals by preparing healthier ones in advance so that you can lessen the chances of reaching out for unhealthy food on impulse or on the reason of wanting to eat something that requires minimal effort. This is also an effective way to eat healthy replacements for canned goods in the Philippines.
• Use local herbs & spices (like turmeric) instead of expensive supplements: The use of local herbs and spices would be more practical than opting for buying over-the-top supplements when you can get the same benefits by incorporating locally sourced herbs and spices in your meals.

Check this out: Top 5 Easy To Make Healthy Breakfast Dishes  Final Thoughts Oftentimes, people are not aware that the way we eat and how we manage our diet can have a lasting and significant impact on the odds of us developing cancer. Other than that, even though some are aware of this fact, they may think that properly planning your meals to be nourishing might be expensive, thus discouraging them from prepping dishes that will help them reduce the likelihood of developing the oncological disease.  It’s a good thing that in the country, there are a lot of cheap Filipino foods that prevent cancer, including various vegetables and fruits that can be bought in the palengke for an affordable price and which can help you if you want to get started on converting your diet into something more nutritious.   

Chemotherapy side effects may vary from person to person, but there are a couple of common ones that patients often always get to experience as they’re taking their cancer care medicines or undergoing their cancer treatments. Since chemotherapy also happens to be the most common form of cancer therapy, seeking ways to relieve other reactions your body may have upon taking the medication is a sought for topic by individuals receiving said treatments due to how uncomfortable it can be and how some side effects have physical manifestations that are of concern or painful.

What are Chemotherapy Drugs and Its Uses?

Chemotherapy treats several kinds of cancer — primary and metastatic — by damaging the genes of the nucleus, thus killing cancer cells just as they’re in the process of splitting into two cells and spreading more in the body.  It does this in various ways depending on the drug (they are grouped according to their function and composition). Your oncologist may prescribe you one medication or a combination of multiple drugs to treat the type of malignancy you have in a more effective manner, as they have different approaches in eliminating cancer cells. Moreover, some drugs are particularly efficient if used during a certain cell cycle phase while some can kill cancer cells regardless of the phase.  It should also be noted that chemotherapy drugs are hazardous to the health of those without the disease. Chemotherapy side effects to others may come in the form of irritation on the skin, nausea, vomiting, headache, nasal sores, dizziness, and certain allergic reactions. Fortunately, the side effects mentioned above only occur for the meantime, but for those who are exposed to the medicines long-term, there can be worse side effects like developing cancer too, and for pregnant women, the risk of having miscarriage as well as the baby having birth defects. Cancer drugs are available in the Philippines nationwide. There are even online pharmacies that you can look through if you prefer to have your chemotherapy medicine delivered to your household. Related: List of Drugs for Cancer Treatment in the Philippines 

Main Classifications of Chemotherapy Drugs

1. Alkylating agents
2. Antimetabolites
3. Topoisomerase inhibitors
4. Mitotic inhibitors
5. Antitumor antibiotics

Alkylating agents

Alkylating agents is the most common type of cancer medicine that doctors prescribe to patients. They prevent cancer cells from reproducing by damaging its DNA. Under this classification also includes nitrosoureas, a chemotherapy drug that focuses more on the treatment of leukemias, gliomas, lymphomas, solid tumors, and melanomas. Examples of alkylating agents are, but not limited to:

• Carboplatin
• Ifosfamide
• Oxaliplatin
• Streptozocin
• Carmustine
• Lomustine

Antimetabolites

Antimetabolites’ mechanism of action is interfering with cell replication by mimicking the molecules that cancer cells need in order to reproduce. When the cells use antimetabolites instead of the right molecules, they are rendered unable to multiply which eventually leads to cell death.  Examples of this classification of chemotherapy drug are, but not limited to:

• Capecitabine
• Gemcitabine
• Decitabine
• 5-fluorouracil
• 6-mercaptopurine
• Methotrexate

Topoisomerase inhibitors

Topoisomerase inhibitors disrupt the function of topoisomerase, an important enzyme that enables cell DNA to replicate, transcript, and repair itself.   Examples of topoisomerase inhibitors are, but not limited to:

• Etoposide
• Irinotecan
• Irinotecan liposomal
• Teniposide
• Topotecan

Mitotic inhibitors

Mitotic inhibitors, or antimitotic agents or plant alkaloids, inhibit cell division by disrupting the microtubules’ function. As it gets disrupted, chromosome segregation fails that results in a cell cycle arrest (specifically during the mitosis phase). If this prolongs, cell death will occur. Examples of antimitotic agents are, but not limited to:

• Cabazitaxel
• Docetaxel
• Paclitaxel
• Nab-paclitaxel
• Vinblastine
• Vincristine

Antitumor antibiotics

Antitumor antibiotics block nucleic acid production that significantly contributes to carrying, transferring, and applying genetic information in DNA. If this is inhibited, the development of cancerous cells are either decelerated or stopped altogether. Part of this classification are anthracyclines, a type of antibiotic that originates from specific types of the bacteria Streptomyces. Examples of antitumor antibiotics are, but not limited to:

• Daunorubicin 
• Doxorubicin 
• Mitoxantrone 
• Bleomycin 
• Dactinomycin 
• Mitomycin-C 

What are the Common Side Effects of Chemotherapy?

Although there are a lot of benefits that come along with using chemotherapy drugs for the treatment of cancer, there also comes side effects that can’t be avoided due to how this type of medication doesn’t only target rapidly growing cancer cells, but other cells in your body that are multiplying at a fast pace. Rapidly growing cells are typically found in the skin, hair follicles, mouth, digestive tract, and those cells in your bone marrow responsible for forming blood. It’s worth noting as well that chemotherapy side effects for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and any type of cancer that you may have all have the same side effects and don’t differ depending on the malignancy.  These said common chemotherapy side effects include:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Changes in bowel movement
• Hair loss
• Mouth and throat sores
• Low blood count
• Loss of appetite
• Skin changes
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Troubles with sex and fertility
• Difficulties in thinking and remembering

Fatigue

Getting easily tired or drained is expected for a patient who’s currently undergoing cancer therapy treatments, primarily because of how the body is already spent battling the disease and dealing with how you’re physically responding with the chemotherapy procedures. 

Nausea and Vomiting

There is such a thing called chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) which is said to affect a patient’s overall well-being and how they are able to withstand treatments. This is considered to be an experienced chemotherapy side effect after the first session, therefore it’s something that you can expect as one of the first reactions your body will have upon undergoing treatment.

Changes in bowel movement

There’s a likelihood that your bowel functions may be dysregulated upon undergoing chemotherapy treatments. 

• Diarrhea: Watery and loose stool.
• Constipation: Difficulties in passing stool, often prompting you to only pass stool for less than three times a week.

Hair loss

This happens usually within the first three weeks of undergoing chemotherapy. There can be cases wherein hair loss may be permanent, but for the most part, it should regrow after you finish your treatments, particularly two to three months afterwards. However, when it does regrow, there’s a chance that there may be changes in regard to texture and color.

Mouth and throat sores

As the cells in the mouth are among the cells that chemotherapy medicine affects, it can become inflamed and cause sores to appear, leading you to have troubles with swallowing, changes in the way you’re speaking or the way you sound, and have lumps in the areas of your neck, throat, cheek, lip, or tongue. 

Low blood count

This includes having low blood count for your white blood cells (leukopenia), red blood cells (anemia), and  platelets (thrombocytopenia). Each of these respectively brings negative effects to the body that you ought to look out for.

• Leukopenia: You can have a weak immune system due to low white blood cell count which puts you at higher risk of getting sick or contracting infections.
• Anemia: This can make you pale and more fatigued. It can also lead to you feeling more tired, dizzy, and short of breath.
• Thrombocytopenia: This increases the risk of bleeding and bruising, as well as having small red spots on the skin (petechiae).

Loss of appetite

Your sense of taste may become different after you start your chemo sessions. Foods may taste metallic, bitter food may taste even more bitter, and sweet food can taste less sweet. Hence, this can prompt you to lose your appetite in eating.  

Skin changes

Chemotherapy drugs have the tendency to make your skin irritated. Because of this, you may be susceptible to having skin conditions.

• • Hand-foot syndrome: This makes the palms of your hands and soles of your feet become red, swollen, or sometimes even painful. This chemotherapy side effect on the skin is easy to spot, and it depends on the person’s skin color on how it will appear on their skin. For those with lighter skin color or with less melanin, they can notice redness on the affected area while for those with darker skin color or with more melanin, the symptoms manifest on their skin by making it darker.

• Sunburn: Your skin can be more sensitive, especially under the sun, hence rendering you more likely to be sunburned if you’re not careful.

Peripheral neuropathy

Also referred to as nerve damage, this is when you begin to feel numb, tingly, or pain in any area of the body. It’s similar to the sensation of “pins and needles” and you may have problems when it comes to jointly using your muscles. This leads to clumsiness because of lack of balance and coordination brought by this side effect. 

Troubles with sex and fertility

Undergoing treatments with this type of cancer medicine can have the levels of estrogen and testosterone in your body lowered, affecting your sex drive and ability to conceive. There are certain chemo drugs that can harm the fetus if one is pregnant or is impregnated by someone who’s being treated with it. Early menopausal can also occur.

Difficulties in thinking and remembering

Also referred to as “chemo brain” or “chemotherapy brain fog”, this can happen during or after undergoing treatments. It can be attributed to the medication itself or the disease, and manifests in the body by affecting your ability to remember information. 

How to Manage Chemotherapy Side Effects?

If you’re asking yourself the question on how to minimize chemotherapy side effects, there are various ways you can do in order to lessen the adverse reactions your body may have upon starting your treatment sessions.  You can manage them by preparing beforehand with your oncologist, doing the necessary measures while you’re already taking chemotherapy medicines, and even keeping your well-being healthy after you’re done to ensure that your body recuperates accordingly as there is a possibility that you can experience chemotherapy side effects after the treatment is supposedly done. These tips can also help in managing adjuvant chemotherapy side effects that can come around when you start to undergo it after the primary treatment.

Before Your First Treatment

It’s always better to come prepared, especially for a serious matter such as cancer. Hence, getting your physical and mental state ready for what you’re about to receive will substantially help with your case.

• • Have a conversation with your healthcare provider. Ask the questions you want to have the answers to (about conceiving, what to do when you vomit, etc.), tell any necessary information that they should know (what other medications you are taking, etc.), be aware of other important details you ought to be aware of, and take down notes so that you’ll be reminded of them as you go forth with your medical journey.
  • Arrange a check up with your dentist. Taking chemo drugs can cause bleeding and infections to occur more, therefore it’s advisable that you have yourself checked for any tooth decay or other issues that may be of concern since having these problems may interfere with your treatments.

• Prepare a bag for chemo sessions. This includes several things like lip balm, clothing to warm yourself up, healthy snacks to munch on, and items that can help you with boredom like a book, headphones or earphones to use for listening to music, podcasts, or watching videos.

• Have enough rest and sleep. Part of taking care of yourself is making sure you’re resting sufficiently and getting enough hours of sleep. 

• Eat nutritious food and drink lots of water. Doing this would strengthen your body and give it the nutrients it needs before you go through your treatments.

• Get rid of bad habits. If you’re someone who still smokes or drinks alcohol excessively, then it’s better to start changing that right now and stopping. It doesn’t only help with cancer, but other possible health conditions as well. 

• • Talk with your loved ones about what they can expect and what you may need some help with. You may become weak and feel extremely nauseous after chemotherapy procedures, rendering you unable to take care of yourself properly (cooking your meals, cleaning the house, taking care of kids and pets if any). Having them help with chores and such will make it easier for you to recover and be in better condition.

• Inform your employer prior. In order for you to adjust easier and handle your chemo sessions once it begins, inform your boss and HR about the scheduling of your sessions so they’d be aware of it and compromise to cater what you need.

• Mentally prepare yourself with the possibility of losing hair. As hair loss is one of the common side effects of chemotherapy, you may want to mentally prepare yourself with the possibility of losing large amounts of hair. You can opt to buy a wig, hat, or anything that would make you comfortable as you wait for hair to grow back. You may even opt to shave your hair off if that’s what you prefer.

Check out the blog we made that shares 15 tips for maintaining mental health which can be supplemental to your cancer therapy journey.

During Your Treatments

Certainly, it is while your chemotherapy treatments are undergoing that you want to find the ways that you can manage the side effects that accompany it. Therefore you may want to keep in mind the following so that everything goes smoothly as you go through your chemo procedures.

• Stay hydrated. To prevent constipation, you should drink eight to 10 glasses of water per day. As for dealing with nausea, drinking fluids can help as well, and it’s best to avoid drinking soda and coffee. Instead choose to drink herbal teas, sport drinks, and juices. 

• Always have enough rest. Having enough rest is significant to your recovery journey, as it can help you get better emotionally and physically.

• Moisturize often. With a moisturizer that is greenlighted by your oncologist, this can assist with any dryness that your skin may be experiencing. Make sure it contains urea and doesn’t have any harmful ingredients that can potentially cause side effects of its own. 

• • Eat as often as you can. Eating can help with lessening nausea, so it’s recommended to eat a light meal before going to your chemo sessions. Moreover, not eating can lead to other symptoms becoming worse.

• Try eating high-fiber food. Doing this particularly helps with diarrhea. Examples of high-fiber food are avocado, apple, beams, oats, raspberry, and other fruits and vegetables. 

• Avoid staying in the kitchen while food is being cooked. This is to prevent nausea from occurring, as staying in spaces wherein food is currently being prepared would induce it. 

• Stick to your usual routines before undergoing chemo. It would be good for your mental state to go through your routines without 

• Take your nausea prescriptions ahead of time. Before a chemo session, take the medications prescribed to you so that it can act in advance and you wouldn’t have to wait for it to take effect when you’re already nauseous. 

• Avoid unpleasant smells. This is helpful, particularly when you want to avoid nausea from taking place. 

• • Brush your teeth three times a day. Doing this can speed the healing process of mouth sores, as well as promote better oral hygiene that would reduce the chances of getting other infections. 

• Avoid wearing tight shoes and socks. It’s better if you wear socks that are soft and loose so that in the case of experiencing peripheral neuropathy, you won’t worsen its effects on your body that can even lead you to have sores on your feet that can’t easily heal. 

• Massage hands and feet. This assists better blood circulation to occur within the body, and for the nerves to be stimulated and help with the pain, lessening any discomfort for the time being. 

• Dip hands and feet in cold water for 15 minutes twice a day. If you’re dealing with pain that feels like it’s burning as a chemotherapy side effect, doing this can significantly help. By putting your hands and feet in cold water for 15 minutes a day, it can numb nerve endings which in turn decreases the occurrence of pain signals being transmitted to the brain.

• Stay physically active. Regular exercises can help with constipation — as well as with the entirety of your well-being. Ensuring that you remain physically active can boost energy levels, oxygen circulation, and the release of endorphins. All of those can reduce stress and uplift your overall mood. 

You may also like: How to Prevent Infections During Chemotherapy/Cancer Treatment 

After Your Treatments

As chemotherapy side effects after treatment will most likely still pop up even subsequent to when you’re already done with your sessions, taking care of your body is a must to ensure that your overall health will be in its best state again. Moreover, doing these practices may be necessary so that you won’t worsen some of the existing side effects appearing on your body and instead lead you to faster recuperation. 

• • Maintain good oral health. This includes brushing your teeth, flossing, and using a good toothpaste with fluoride. Since taking chemo medicines can induce mouth sores (causing bacteria to accumulate more in the mentioned area), it’s important to do the necessary things to prevent other infections from appearing in it. You can use a mouthwash too, but make sure that it’s approved by your doctor. 

https://youtube.com/shorts/WTrT-Kz1HAE?si=tufnJL6uwysOW6l0

• Wash hands with soap and water often. This is another measure one should do to prevent infections since patients are more susceptible to them during this time. Especially before eating, after you’ve gone outdoors, after handling dirty items, after using the restroom, and after using items that are often linked with having lots of bacteria — you should always disinfect properly by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water. 

• Keep your household tidy and clean. This ensures that you won’t be susceptible to having illnesses easily once more, given how your immune system is still weak.

• Don’t go near crowds. As mentioned, since you are still vulnerable to contracting infections and other diseases, it’s best to steer clear away from large groups of people to lessen the risk of being infected.

• Be cautious in interacting with your pets and taking care of them. If you have dogs and/or cats, avoid playing too roughly with them so that you won’t get accidentally scratched or bitten. Also ask someone else to clean their waste for the meantime, as it wouldn’t be good for you to be exposed or be in contact with any of it. 

• Continue to stay physically active. Even walking can be substantial to your health journey. It’s a good exercise that you can do in the event you’re not ready for heavy workouts. You can slowly work your way up from here, increasing as you go on.

• Eat enough and be nutritious. This is to increase your weight or to maintain it within a healthy weight range.

• Try out food supplements or multivitamins. Taking food supplements to help you get the nutrients that you need can be essential as your health recuperates. Ask your doctor what you can take and what is safe for your condition if you do decide to try them for the betterment of your health.

• Be careful when you have to go out in the sun. Your skin is still sensitive to the sun, hence don’t stay out too long whenever it’s sunny and in the case that you have to, make sure that you’re somewhere shaded. Wear a wide brimmed hat, wear sunscreen, and wear protective clothing that can protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

• Avoid smoking still. Just because you’re done with chemotherapy, doesn’t mean you can bounce back to old habits that are definitely detrimental to your well-being. Especially with a vice like smoking, it’s highly recommended that you never go back to doing this and risk developing other diseases aside from cancer.

• Have regular check-ups with your oncologist. This is to ensure that you are progressing positively after finishing your regimen, making sure that recurrence doesn’t happen, no other health conditions arise, and that any side effects that may still be present be handled accordingly. 

Related: 15 Important Tips for Cancer Patients Going on a Holiday  Final Thoughts Chemotherapy side effects and management is a common point of discussion among patients, understandably so because of how the body usually reacts to the cancer medicine that they’re taking. Whether you’re having IV or oral chemotherapy, side effects have the potential of interfering with your everyday life and can be extremely uncomfortable to the point of being recognized as painful. On top of that, with how the body is already exhausted with how it’s fighting the disease, it exerts more effort when it comes accommodating the chemo drugs that’s being delivered in the bloodstream (or orally taken) that renders it to be weaker than its original state. It is due to this that going through chemo sessions while pregnant (and actively breastfeeding) is generally not recommended, especially within 14 weeks of conceiving and after 35 weeks. Chemotherapy side effects for pregnancy may involve the increased risk of miscarriage, the baby being born earlier, the baby having a low birth weight, and the baby possibly having birth defects.  Further, since the immune system is frail at this time that leads the patient to be more susceptible to infections and diseases, there should be a conscious effort of making the body stronger by eating the right food, staying physically active, and doing other preventive measures that can help with managing the unavoidable outcomes that getting chemotherapy treatments gives.

Las Pinas City, Philippines — With its ongoing support for cancer patients and the importance of making healthcare information accessible to all, Getmeds Philippines Inc. invites you to a free virtual question and answer for cancer patients to be held this April 2025. This upcoming interactive session will give you the chance to ask any questions or concerns you may have about health to our invited oncology expert. From topics that revolve around the treatments you’re undergoing, the medicines that are prescribed to you, and any possible side effects that you wish to manage — you can have them answered at no cost, and even gain extra knowledge as you listen to what other patients want to know as well. Getmeds Philippines Inc. is a trusted online pharmacy in the Philippines offering OTC products and prescription medicine since 2020. Our catalog of oncology, hematology, and anesthesiology products are of competitive pricing, and we can have your orders delivered to your doorstep regardless of where you are nationwide.   Program Details:

• Date: To be announced

• Time: To be announced

• Platform: Zoom

How to Register: Sign up through our Google Form to reserve your slot and be a part of this informative online seminar: https://forms.gle/Jsc7gLbmnETK9VA37 Stay updated: Visit the official Facebook page of Getmeds where we’ll post any announcements and additional information about this event. 

Cancer myths and misconceptions is a topic discussion that continues to be passed around without much caution or the need to fact check by the people, prompting misleading content to be disseminated more. Hence, it’s important to seek reliable sources when it comes to healthcare information — such as Getmeds Philippines Inc., an online pharmacy —  who continue to support cancer patients and the important role of inclusive information-sharing in public health. As cancer in the Philippines persists to be among the top of public health concerns nationwide, it’s understandable why many people want to remain cautious and know what they can do to prevent developing the disease.  However, with so much news circulating about what should and what can’t be done in order to take care of your well-being, it can be hard to differentiate facts from fiction, especially with how certain misconceptions of cancer have been around for years and yet keep on causing unnecessary stir within society. It’s significant to be aware of what the truths are regarding this serious illness as much as it’s important to make a conscious effort of having your health be at its best. This allows you to avoid doing preventive measures that are not needed or restrict yourself from doing something that you ought not to worry about.  Take colorectal cancer for example, the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the Philippines, diseases like this and people being concerned about it may have the potential of contributing to widespread misinformation about the matter. But regardless how worrisome and anxiety-provoking it may be, let’s do our part of debunking myths related to it among others prevailing cancer types.  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/y5A1RwbrERs

20 Common Cancer Myths Busted – What You Need to Know

To help you differentiate misconceptions and facts from each other, we’ve gathered popular cancer myths that have been widely believed for a long time that you can also read into for your own guidance. These have been compiled with the aim of enlightening those who still believe them and to provide new findings regarding the topic.  These 20 common misconceptions for cancer entail the following:

1. Cancer is contagious
2. Cancer is a fungus
3. Cancer always leads to death
4. Getting a biopsy can cause cancer to spread
5. Cancer cannot be prevented
6. Using cell phones can cause cancer
7. X-rays and CT scans can cause cancer
8. Herbal products can cure cancer
9. Eating sugary food can worsen cancer
10. Artificial sweeteners can cause cancer
11. Eating food and beverages with soy can cause cancer
12. Eating microwaved food in plastic containers and wraps can cause cancer
13. Pesticides can cause cancer
14. Thinking negatively or positively can affect cancer growth
15. Massages can cause cancer
16. Using deodorants or antiperspirants can cause breast cancer
17. Using hair dye can cause cancer
18. Breast cancer can only happen to women
19. Having no family member with cancer means you will never have it too
20. People with cancer are too ill to work and have jobs

Now, let's go ahead and explore each one thoroughly.

Myth: Cancer is contagious

No, this disease is not contagious. You cannot contract it from someone else and you cannot give it to someone else as well. Some inquiries revolve around wondering if this illness can be transmitted through saliva, sexual intercourse, or any type of close proximity with a patient — all of which are already proven to be false as the only way it can be possibly passed from one person to another is through genetics. Similarly, animals can’t pass it on to humans. They can only pass it within their species through bites or sexual contact. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/H_2oIis7n20

Myth: Cancer is a fungus

This is false. This serious illness isn’t a fungus nor can it be caused by a fungus.  This myth originated from Dr. Tullio Simoncini, an Italian doctor who said the oncological disease is a fungus and in turn can be treated with sodium bicarbonate intravenously. Considering his theory was unheard of and unique amidst other claims, it garnered attention from the press that led more people hearing about it. Nonetheless, this theory has been proven to be false, alongside other notions he has brought forward about the serious illness.

Myth: Cancer always leads to death

Despite it being a health condition that can lead to fatal results if not treated early or properly, having this disease doesn’t always lead to death.  Though of course, it still depends on what type of malignancy you have and when you started your treatment upon diagnosis. This highlights the importance of undergoing screenings for early detection, since it can play a huge role in ensuring that your condition becomes better in the long run as early detection equals faster recovery.

Myth: Getting a biopsy can cause cancer to spread

A biopsy is the process of taking tissue samples in a suspicious area and examining it to confirm whether it’s malignant or benign. It’s a diagnostic procedure that can help in confirming a diagnosis and moving forward with one’s medical treatments.  Technically speaking, there is a possibility that a biopsy can cause the disease to spread (due to what is called as “tumor/needle tract seeding”) — this is extremely rare, a detail that people should remember, and that recent studies confirm that no patient got a biopsy and ended up with more abnormal cell growth spreading in their body. 

Myth: Cancer cannot be prevented

Yes, it can definitely be prevented.  In fact, there’s a lot of things that you can do in order to lower cancer risk. You can change your diet and choose healthier food options, you can start exercising to be within a healthy weight range, and you can get rid of habits that you know are harmful to your health (smoking and using tobacco products, drinking alcohol, etc.). Moreover, you may even opt to have yourself screened for the disease, especially if your family history tells you that you have a higher susceptibility of developing it.  All of these can be effective ways of preventing you from contracting the illness or treating it while it’s still easy to handle. Read also: How to Lower Cancer Risk in Women: 12 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy

Myth: Using cell phones can cause cancer

No, using cell phones does not cause the development of the disease in your body, nor does Wi-Fi or other related things.  This myth about cancer is brought by the fact that cell phones are known to emit radiation (radiofrequency radiation or radio waves) — and malignancy found in the brain and central nervous system are said to be brought by ionizing radiation, a higher level of radiation than radio waves. To be clear, radio waves do not have the ability to damage DNA as its energy is too low. Although the body can absorb energy from radio waves, the only effect it can give is heat to the area where it’s held (your hands or ear during a phone call). Aside from that, there’s no proven study wherein cell phones were reported to cause the disease.

Myth: X-rays and CT scans can cause cancer

X-rays and CT scans alongside other medical scanning devices use ionizing radiation, which as established, is the type of radiation that can slightly increase cancer risk. However, despite this, there are not a lot of cases about the disease’s development in one’s body that is linked to ionizing radiation from medical scanning devices. If there are, it only shows a slight increase, making it not of concerning matter. Further, people already get exposed to ionizing radiation every day because of radon gas from the ground, with the radiation we get from there on a regular basis  even said to be higher in comparison to what we get from x-rays or CT scans. Given how these medical scanning devices are essential to diagnosing the disease, it cannot be helped that a person needs to subject themselves in undergoing procedures that utilize these machines. It offers more benefits than disadvantages, leading its utilization to be encouraged regardless. 

Myth: Herbal products can cure cancer

Herbal products can be made up of a plant’s extract, leaves, flowers, or roots.   There is yet to be significant research that suggests that herbal products can cure the disease. For what’s been observed over the years, it can only serve as alternative or complementary therapies to other health conditions — but for this oncological disorder, it does not have the ability to cure it nor be a replacement to any remedy. However, it does have the capability to relieve some symptoms and side effects brought by chemotherapy treatments. It’s because of this that this belief is among the common cancer myths and facts that get interchanged often. Nonetheless, patients are still asked to be cautious about its use since some ingredients found in herbal products may do more harm than good to their well-being, and doctors generally do not recommend its use while the treatments are ongoing. It’s best to always have a conversation with your oncologist if you want to incorporate herbal products to your recovery journey so they keep a close eye on you for any negative reactions.

Myth: Eating sugary food can worsen cancer

Although many believe that sugary food is an obvious risk factor, it’s been proven that the connection between cancer and sugar is a myth based on various studies. Instead, it indirectly affects the likelihood of another cancer risk factor which is being overweight or obese. Weight gain stands behind smoking as a factor that can increase the chances of an individual contracting the disease. That’s why it’s generally encouraged for people to be within a healthy weight  range in order to lessen their chances — and that includes having a healthy diet and avoiding eating food that is high in sugar since it contains more calories than other food groups.

Myth: Artificial sweeteners can cause cancer

Much like with sugary foods, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, sorbitol, and xylitol are not a significant risk factor when it comes to the disease.  These additives are found in food and drinks like carbonated and diet beverages, cereal, snack bars, chewing gum, toothpaste, syrups, condiments, sauces, and yogurts that are low-sugar or sugar-free. Back in 2023, news circulated about aspartame being linked to abnormal cell growth. However, there should actually be no concern regarding this matter as this claim has already been debunked by several international health organizations, stating that there is limited evidence that would suggest that aspartame can potentially cause malignancy.

Myth: Eating food and beverages with soy can cause cancer

No, this is not true. Having the disease because of consuming food and beverages with soy is a cancer myth that people ought to stop believing. This speculation is rooted from the fact that soy has high amounts of phytoestrogens, a plant equivalent of the human hormone estrogen. And since high levels of estrogen is primarily linked to breast cancer risk, there’s this fear that its continued consumption would lead to higher susceptibility to the said disease. This is false. In fact, there’s been studies that even say that soy can lessen your risk of contracting it. Considering that it’s made from soybeans that are rich in protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and low in saturated fat as well as cholesterol-free and lactose-free — it offers a lot of positive health effects that makes it a good addition to your diet.  

Myth: Eating microwaved food in plastic containers and wraps can cause cancer

Plastic containers and wraps that have labels on them that say it’s microwavable or okay to be used for heating food in the microwave are definitely safe.  Previous studies have said that it wouldn’t pose any threats to your health and would not put you at risk of developing malignant tumors. Unlike with margarine tubs, takeout containers, and the like, these materials when used in a microwave for heating food could potentially melt and leak chemicals into your meals.  Overall, although plastic packaging can put small amounts of chemicals in your food, these are insignificant and wouldn’t negatively impact your well-being in a serious manner. 

Myth: Pesticides can cause cancer

Pesticides, a chemical agent, are often seen in farming and gardening, with people who wish to eliminate pests (weed and insects) from their crops and protect their plants in general making good use of it. Since certain vegetables and fruits are grown using pesticides, the concern on whether it’d be safe to eat food that would potentially have leftover chemicals on them is frequently pointed out. Especially when it comes to malignant tumors, there’s a fear that you may develop them if you eat food that is contaminated by pesticides. However, research has already debunked this and claims that even if pesticides are left on vegetables and fruit, these are usually in small amounts that it wouldn’t be considered as harmful. 

Myth: Thinking negatively or positively can affect cancer growth

There is no clear indication that having negative or positive thoughts would affect one’s susceptibility or not to the disease. Many wonder, can unhappiness cause cancer? And while there have been case studies before that show some link between the disease and stress in particular, it’s said to be indirect in a way wherein that stress can lead to the formation of bad habits — which then leads to higher risk.  On the other hand, although there is definitely nothing wrong with wanting to be optimistic throughout your health journey, it can only help in a way that would lessen the chances of mental health disorders like depression, distress, and anxiety from occurring or would help with dealing with the treatments and side effects overall. But with malignancy specifically, it doesn’t have any significant impact over its growth. Check this out: Basic Meditation For Stress Management 

Myth: Massages can cause cancer

No, massages do not cause cancer nor can spread it to other areas of your body.  The spread of the disease is a complex process that can’t be done with a massage. It involves gene expression, mutation, and biological messengers for it to happen.  Moreover, having a massage while you have the oncological disorder is seen as a complementary therapy that can help a patient feel better as they’re undergoing their treatments. It would relieve some symptoms like nausea, pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression by one half. Just make sure that your oncologist deems that your body is fit for receiving a massage if you do wish to have one in the middle of having treatments, and that the massage therapist have received formal training or possesses the awareness and experience to know how to give a massage for a patient who’s been previously diagnosed with the disease.

Myth: Using deodorants or antiperspirants can cause breast cancer

Among popular breast cancer myths, using a deodorant or antiperspirant as a risk factor is one that often circulates and is falsely believed. Since these products are applied on the underarm, an area that is near the breast, there’s been concern about its aluminum-based compounds penetrating the skin and letting out effects that are similar to estrogen, which is the hormone that plays a significant role in the development of the said malignancy. Regardless, studies have made it clear that there is no connection between antiperspirants and breast tumors, with no increased risk or susceptibility reported to individuals who use the product. When discussing cancer facts, female patients (and occasionally, men) with this type of malignancy typically develop it in the breast before it spreads through the lymph nodes, with its growth primarily caused because of damaged cells — not because of aluminium nor parabens, another chemical that is commonly found in personal care products and which have already been said to have no direct link to the condition as well.

Myth: Using hair dye can cause cancer

As hair dye contains a lot of chemicals, namely ammonia, aromatic amines, and hydrogen peroxide among several others, all of which can be absorbed into the skin of your scalp in small amounts whenever you use them or when you unconsciously breathe them in, a lot can be apprehensive about using the product. According to research, the most convincing results that show a link between hair dye and the disease is how hairdressers and barbers have shown higher odds to develop malignancy in their bladder. But even then, it doesn’t serve as a definite indication that the use of the product can lead to having the disease. There is no sufficient study that entirely supports that people who use hair dye will find themselves having the disease one day.

Myth: Breast cancer can only happen to women

No, this is false. It only continues to be one of the myths about breast cancer that is still widely believed due to how it is a female dominated illness — with statistics showing that 99% percent of people who have the disease are women. Nonetheless, men can develop abnormal cell growth in the breast just like women can, covering the 0.5 – 1% of the provided data, thus rendering them to be capable of having it, with its occurrence only said to be rare. Further, if diagnosed, men would be prescribed the same treatments and management guidelines that are assigned to women, showing no difference in how men with malignant tumors in the breast are handled by healthcare professionals.  Since every person is born with a small amount of breast tissue, men can still be at risk of developing the disease, just not as often because of how compared to women, they do not grow more breast tissue after puberty. You might also like: Do The Self-Breast Exam And Increase Your Odds Of Early Treatment

Myth: Having no family member with cancer means you will never have it too

No, there’s still a chance that an individual can have the disease even if no family member has shown history of having it. This is because the mentioned health condition isn’t purely developed because of genetics. There are other risk factors that should be kept in mind, such as having bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol, not eating nutritiously, not having the right vaccines, not having yourself screened, not having any physical activity, and not managing your weight which can lead to obesity. Having family members who have the disease simply means that an individual is at higher risk, meaning that those who do not have a family medical history of abnormal cell growth may be at lower risk — but not exempted to it.

Myth: People with cancer are too ill to work and have jobs

Patients who are dealing with this serious illness may have more obstacles coming in their way, but this doesn’t render them completely unable to work and maintain a job. In fact, it’s common for people diagnosed with it to want to work, as the financial burden that comes along with having treatments and other necessary medications creates this need to have a stable source of income, and there are also government laws and policies that enable them to have that.  Nonetheless, it’s always important for the patient to disclose sufficient information about their diagnosis and treatment plants to their boss and the HR department in order for the company to make the necessary adjustments for their illness. Related: How to Reduce Cost of Cancer Treatment in The Philippines  Final Thoughts There are a lot of common misconceptions for cancer, mostly driven by fear of the disease, beliefs of people due to their religion or culture, the lack of factual information about the matter, and how circulating theories about it are either blown out of proportion or oversimplified to make sense of how it develops in the body. This makes it more important for us to seek out insights or news that would give us the truth regarding anything about this particular health condition. Considering that it’s one of the top public health concerns recognized in the Philippines, being enlightened about the common cancer myths and misconceptions that bring baseless concerns can help in reducing anxiety and make way for what we really ought to know in keeping our well-being healthy and risk-free.

Contraceptive pills for PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) management have been commonly recommended by gynaecologists as a first-line treatment, as well as for other hormonal conditions like abnormal menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and premenstrual syndrome. It works in helping women handle the symptoms and the complications that come along with having hormonal imbalance due to how contraceptive pills can inhibit androgen production — something that your ovaries excessively produce when you’re diagnosed with the condition.  In the Philippines, birth control pills are made available in pharmacies and medicine distribution companies as long as you have a valid prescription made by your doctor. Even though there are still some misconceptions that come along with using the medication, there is no denying that it offers a lot of benefits for women who deal with severe pain and discomfort during their red days, as well as an effective PCOS treatment for those with the health condition. 

What is PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal issue that involves the imbalance of hormones caused by your ovaries when it produces an excessive amount of androgens. When this happens, you may have irregular menstrual cycles, meaning that there are instances wherein you miss periods or do not have regular ovulations — two reasons why this condition is also the reason behind infertility among women.

Common PCOS Signs and Symptoms

Of course, as with any health condition, the signs of PCOS may differ per individual. However, in general, these are the symptoms you may encounter if you have polycystic ovary syndrome:

• • Irregular periods: This means not having your periods at a consistent schedule. The normal interval before you get your period is usually 28 days, with your red days supposed to last for four to seven days only. When you have irregular periods, you may have months wherein you do not bleed or bleed for more than seven days. 
  • Acne: These are pimples on your skin that are pus-filled and could be painful sometimes.
  • Hyperpigmentation: This is when you get dark patches on the skin, particularly in areas like your neck, underarms, under your breasts, and the area between your legs. 
  • Skin tags: These are growths on the skin that are harmless and can be seen along the area of your neck, eyelids, and underarms. 
  • Mild hair loss: You may begin losing patches of hair along the head, or in worst cases, may start balding.
  • Cysts: Occurs in the ovaries. This is when the ovaries look bigger or have egg sac cysts when looked over an ultrasound.
  • Obesity: Those with PCOS have a hard time losing weight, hence the tendency to be obese is likely.

• Infertility: Since you don’t ovulate in a regular period of time when you have this hormonal disorder, you can face difficulties when it comes to trying to conceive.

These symptoms and signs of this ovarian syndrome may appear during a girl’s puberty or when she’s in her early to mid-20s. It’s also possible for a girl who has never had her period to have this disorder, which means that PCOS symptoms in unmarried girls do not have any difference with those who already have their periods, are married, or have any prior sexual  experience.

Health Conditions That May Come with Having PCOS

When you’re diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, you are also at risk of developing other health conditions such as:

• Type 2 diabetes: Due to your body becoming insulin resistant and in turn causing you to have high levels of blood sugar, you may develop type 2 diabetes.
• Hypertension: Having polycystic ovary syndrome causes blood pressure to spike up, hence you may be more susceptible to having the said condition.
• High cholesterol: As there’s an imbalance of hormones that influences lipid metabolism — not to mention being insulin resistant — it can increase the level of cholesterol to an unhealthy amount. 
• Heart disease: Because of high blood pressure, weight gain, and insulin resistances, there’s also the likelihood of being at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
• Endometrial cancer: Since polycystic ovary syndrome induces irregular periods, therefore making you miss periods, it can prompt the uterine lining to be thicker which makes a woman more susceptible to having the mentioned disease.
• Sleep apnea: This is a sleeping disorder that causes you to stop breathing while you’re asleep. It can occur when you have PCOS because of hormonal imbalances and an uneven accumulation of body fat around the neck.
• Depression: Since higher androgen levels can cause excessive hair growth and weight gain, it can negatively affect a woman’s perception about herself which also affects her self-esteem and confidence, leading to feeling depressed.
• Anxiety: Due to hormonal imbalances and the physical changes one has because of PCOS, it can result in mood swings and a greater inclination to feeling anxious.

Why Contraceptive Pills are Used for PCOS

Oral birth control has two types: combined oral contraceptives (COCs) and progestin-only contraceptive pills. Combined birth control pills have both progestin (a synthetic version of the progesterone hormone) and estrogen. Meanwhile, as observed from the name itself, progestin-only pills (or mini-pill) only have progestin in its formulation, which makes it the perfect contraceptive pills for breastfeeding moms and the optimal choice for women who cannot take estrogen because of certain health conditions. Among the two, combined oral contraceptives for PCOS management is the one primarily prescribed by gynecologists. This is because of how estrogen — the hormone also present in the medication — not only regulates menstrual cycles, but also helps lessen other effects brought by the hormonal condition like hirsutism (excessive hair growth) and acne. Nonetheless, progestin-only pills can be used for polycystic ovary syndrome too. However, it won’t do much about managing the physical manifestations of the condition, but will focus more on treating irregular periods so that the risk of having uterine cancer won’t be high — and can offer less side effects than combined oral contraceptives.  Some contraceptive pill brands in the Philippines that are commonly used for the treatment of the said hormonal condition are Lizelle, Yaz, Liza, and Yasmin. Talk to your doctor to find out what’s the best contraceptive pill for PCOS that you can use. 

7 Ways Contraceptive Pills Help Manage PCOS Symptoms

There’s a lot of benefits that come with using oral contraceptives, particularly if you’re using it to treat PCOS. They can assist in treating the hormonal disorder by doing the following:

1. Regulates menstrual cycles
2. Lessens high androgen levels
3. Improves skin health
4. Reduces excessive hair growth
5. Manages ovarian cysts
6. Helps control mood swings
7. Lowers risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer

 

Regulates menstrual cycles

COCs regulate menstrual cycles by releasing the right hormones in your bloodstream in a more controlled manner, generating a menstrual cycle that is similar to the normal one and what your body is supposed to be doing. With this, your periods become more predictable and regular. 

Lessens high androgen levels

COCs decrease high levels of androgen (specifically testosterone) by hindering androgen production in the ovaries and adrenal glands. In addition, it also elevates sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels that is important in ensuring that estrogen and testosterone do not go roaming around the bloodstream freely. Lower androgen levels mean that ovulation is less likely to be disrupted and the physical symptoms brought by hormonal imbalance will be reduced. 

3. Improves skin health

Sebum is the primary cause of acne to appear on the skin. Since androgen can stimulate its production — and since polycystic ovary syndrome can cause a woman to have high amounts of androgen — more sebum is produced which leads to more acne. Oral contraceptives can remedy the appearance of acne as part of its hormonal imbalance treatment effects by lowering androgen amounts in your body, thus improving skin health as it reduces acne breakouts and inflammation. Related: 10 Best Skin Care Products for Oily Skin in the Philippines 

4. Reduces excessive hair growth

Hirsutism, the condition wherein excessive hair growth occurs around the mouth and chin (or any part of the female body that doesn’t typically have hair), is one of the symptoms that comes along with having PCOS due to the high production of androgen. COCs have the ability of reducing the amount of androgens in the body, hence lessening the effects of hirsutism.

5. Manages ovarian cysts

Using birth control can lessen the chances of new cysts forming around the ovaries. This is due to how oral contraceptives stop ovulation, preventing the ovary from releasing eggs. However, if there are any existing cysts before the use of birth control, then it cannot be shrunk down with contraceptive pills alone.

6. Helps control mood swings

Even though it still varies from person to person, COCs are proven to help with controlling mood swings due to its ability to stabilize hormone levels. This makes it an effective PCOS treatment for women, as well as other health conditions like premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and others that concern mental health.

7. Lowers risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer

Considering that the use of oral contraceptives can lessen the instances in which a woman ovulates, it can also reduce the chances of being exposed to estrogen that plays a role in developing ovarian and endometrial or uterine cancer. Moreover, it’s stated that the longer you use COCs, the less likely you are to have ovarian cancer. You can even be protected from the mentioned disease for up to 25 years — and 10 years too when it comes to endometrial cancer.

Common Questions and Misconceptions About Using Contraceptive Pills for PCOS

Often, the reason why women are hesitant in using pills is because of the misconceptions surrounding its use. There is a lot of  false information that says it can cause weight gain, cause malignant tumors, damage fertility among women, and other things that can spread unnecessary concern about the medication, especially to those individuals who aim to use contraceptives for the betterment of their health or for its main function: preventing pregnancy. That’s why the use of contraceptive pills in the Philippines still has a lot of reservations as well, given the mistaken beliefs about it. Some still believe that it’s a drug that causes abortion due to the existence of emergency contraceptive pills that are used within 72 hours after engaging in unprotected sex. But as made clear, it cannot induce abortion nor would cause an embryo or fetus to be terminated.

Is birth control bad for PCOS?

A person’s body reaction to the use of birth control differs per individual. For some, side effects of oral contraceptive pills for PCOS won’t cause any concerning side effects — but for others, there’s a possibility that they may encounter serious unwanted symptoms that would encourage them to stop using the medication.  Further, in the case of birth control for polycystic ovary syndrome, it’s important to consult a doctor to make sure that oral contraceptives will not worsen the symptoms of the hormonal condition nor would give you more bad outcomes than good. Although birth control pills most of the time have more pros than cons, it’s still recommended that you have a thorough conversation with a gynecologist in order to be briefed about the risks and benefits of its use. You may be discouraged to use it if you smoke, have certain health conditions, and other risk factors. 

Can using birth control lead to fertility issues?

In truth, even though blocking pregnancy is one of the primary contraceptive pills uses in women, that doesn’t mean it can permanently stop a woman from getting pregnant her whole life. You can get pregnant right away once you stop using contraceptives, and depending on what type of contraceptive you use, it will usually take effect immediately. Hence, when it comes to the question on why COCs are prescribed to be used for fertility despite its main use being a contraceptive — it’s because of how it can regulate hormones and control irregular periods. https://youtube.com/shorts/8KO5cPrjdzw?si=z19K72w2HdXO4iTO

Can birth control cause cancer?

Combined contraceptive pills have the hormone estrogen included in their formulation. With that, it can increase the estrogen levels in the body which breast cancer cells need in order to multiply. However, the risk of breast cancer has only slightly increased in using birth control pills, meaning that it’s not of significant concern and can even be erased once you stop using birth control pills for over 10 years.

Can birth control cause weight gain?

There are people who have claimed that after the use of oral contraceptive pills for PCOS, they have gained a few extra pounds. However, although the scale does show that there has seemingly been an increase of weight — it is only because of fluid retention, not because of actual fat being stored in your body. Instead, you may be gaining weight because of other factors that do not include taking birth control pills itself. It may be because of changes in the food you eat, your calorie intake, your metabolism, lack of physical activity, and the kind of exercises you’ve recently been doing.

Can PCOS be treated with birth control?

Despite how polycystic ovary syndrome cannot be cured, it can be managed with the help of birth control. It does this by lowering the amount of androgen in the body, which in turn lessens the effects of the said hormonal condition’s  physical symptoms (excessive hair growth, acne, etc.). 

Can PCOS affect birth control?

In terms of contraceptive pills effectiveness, PCOS does not affect birth control. However, due to the other health conditions that arise when you’re diagnosed with it (becoming obese and insulin resistant), it may lower its potency because of how these health conditions disrupt how hormones are processed within the body, thus leading to a poor performance. 

How does birth control affect PCOS?

Birth control pills containing estrogen and progestin (combined oral contraceptives) affect PCOS by balancing hormone levels and lowering high amounts of androgen in the body that the hormonal disorder causes. Since taking contraceptive pills means your ovulation can be suppressed, it can regulate menstrual cycles and inhibit androgen production, in turn lessening symptoms such as acne and excessive hair growth. 

Can contraceptive pills cause PCOS?

To answer this simply, no, birth control does not cause hormonal conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome. Although contraceptive pills’ side effects are listed to be a lot and can lead an individual to be more susceptible to other health issues — it does not include PCOS and in contrary, can even serve as its treatment.  What are the side effects of oral contraceptive pills for PCOS? When you use birth control as PCOS treatment, some contraceptive pills side effects you may experience are:

• Nausea
• Bloating
• Sore/tender breasts
• Headaches
• Spotting (light bleeding that is not because of having your period)
• High blood sugar
• Blood clots

Other Birth Control Methods for PCOS Management

Aside from contraceptive pills, there are other birth control methods that contain estrogen and progestin which can give you the same effects if you prefer another option other than ovulation control medication.  Have a conversation with your gynecologist and see if these options can be applicable for you:

• Injectable contraceptives (depo shot or birth control shots): This is typically injected either on your arm and buttocks, where it then delivers the hormone progestin in your bloodstream. 

• Contraceptive Patch: This is a thin, beige, and sticky patch that releases the hormones through the skin and is placed on either your shoulder or upper arm. It can also be placed above the buttocks, abdomen below the belly button, and upper back near the shoulder blade. 

• Contraceptive Implants: A small rod-like device is implanted in your upper arm where the hormone progestin is let go.

• Intrauterine device (IUD): This device is inserted into your uterus where it will then release the hormone progestin. 

• Vaginal Ring: A flexible ring that is placed inside your vagina where it will release the hormones in your vaginal lining.

Read also: Choosing the Right Contraceptive for Your Lifestyle in Philippines-2025 

Lifestyle Tips for Managing PCOS Symptoms

For polycystic ovary syndrome, there is no definite cure — just ways to treat and manage its symptoms. Hence, aside from using cycle-regulating pills and other medicines in order to lessen its effects on your body, there are also other things you can do in order to not have your condition be worse.  

Have a healthier diet

Since having PCOS reduces the levels of insulin in the body, it’s essential to consume specific categories and types of foods in order to increase your insulin levels and to also get other nutrients that would be good for you.  Among these are:

• Carbohydrates: For better energy and improved hormone levels 
• Fiber: For improved digestion.
• Protein: Even better if it’s plant-based protein like whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Eating food that is in protein helps with insulin production. 
• Iron-rich foods: Because of how women with irregular menstrual cycle means that they’ll tend to experience heavy bleeding during their period, it’s essential to eat food that is rich with this nutrient.
• Magnesium-rich foods: Since these foods are generally considered to be good in treating PCOS.
• Whole foods: This means food that does not contain preservatives or any artificial ingredient, making them as natural as possible.
• Probiotics foods: For better gut health and regulating hormones.

You should also avoid caffeine since it is said to have the ability to disrupt the levels of estrogen in your body, as well as how the hormones behave. An alternative you can opt for are herbal teas, particularly green tea since this is recognized to help women with PCOS by improving insulin resistance.  Check out our blog about Top 5 Superfoods To Boost The Immune Health.

Take supplements

Seek out supplements or other products that have the following nutrients/ingredients so that your body can improve when it comes to regulating hormone levels, increasing insulin, and lessening inflammation brought by PCOS:

• Magnesium
• Vitamin D
• B Complex
• Omega 3
• Berberine
• Zinc
• Inositol
• Calcium
• Chromium
• Turmeric
• Evening primrose oil

 

Maintain a healthy weight

Being within a healthy weight range can significantly help with the effects that PCOS causes to the body — as well as lowering your risk of contracting other health conditions that may come along with it.  Not to mention that this can also assist with conceiving if you’re trying to get pregnant with your partner. This is because being at a healthy weight can improve ovulation, balance your hormones, and enhance insulin production which positively impacts fertility overall. You can read this blog about top 5 weight loss tips to stay active and fit that you can do to maintain a healthy weight.

Regularly exercise

This works hand in hand with maintaining a healthy weight since exercising frequently can help you lose a few calories.  You can try out these exercises for PCOS management:

• Mind-body exercises: These are exercises like yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation, breathwork, walking meditation, and guiding imagery.
• Cardio: The exercises that fall under cardio are walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, etc. As long as it’s any physical activity that involves your heart rate increasing, then it can be considered as a form of cardio.
• High-intensity interval training (HIIT): This is where you do a bunch of brief intense workouts (any exercise will do) with short recovering periods typically spanning 15 seconds. 
• Interval training: Similar to HIIT, but has a longer period of time for rest.
• Strength training: Under this are exercises that build muscle strength by resistance like squats, push-ups, glute bridges, weightlifting, etc. 

 

Develop good sleeping habits

Another thing that can help in dealing with PCOS signs and symptoms is having good sleep hygiene. This involves setting a consistent sleep schedule, avoiding stimulants like caffeine before going to bed, having a regular bedtime routine, and other measures you can do in order to have a comfortable experience when going to sleep. Doing these things and making sure that you get eight to ten hours of sleep every night is important in regulating stress hormones and managing this reproductive health condition since poor sleep quality can be linked to weight gain and insulin resistance

Practice self-care

It’s essential that you do not get stressed too much as it can contribute to your stress hormone (cortisol) levels being high as well. Therefore, in order for you to avoid feeling stressed, you should find activities that can provide you relaxation and what you would consider as taking care of yourself. This may include taking a walk outside, reading a book, assembling a puzzle — anything that would bring you peace, make you feel gratified, and manage your stress.

In Summary 

Oral contraceptive pills for PCOS in the Philippines is a practice done by women who are of reproductive age and who have the mentioned hormonal disorder. As birth control pills have the ability to balance hormones, such as lowering androgen levels, it’s typically prescribed by doctors to be the first-line of treatment for managing its symptoms. PCOS means polycystic ovary syndrome, and when a woman has this disorder, she can be at high risk of developing other health conditions that can be of serious concern to her well-being. More than just the existing effects it does to the body (excessive hair growth, acne, irregular periods, hyperpigmentation, weight gain, etc.), it can make them more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases and having problems with mental health like depression and anxiety. Combined oral contraceptives are an effective treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome. Although primarily marketed as a medication to prevent pregnancy, it can also regulate menstrual cycles, lessen high androgen levels, improve skin health, reduce symptoms, and even minimizes the risks of having ovarian and endometrial cancer.  Despite a lot of questions and doubts surrounding the relationship between birth control and PCOS, there’s no denying that using it does have benefits and can help in managing its symptoms. Furthermore, aside from contraceptive pills being a way to treat PCOS, there are also lifestyle changes that you can make so that the hormonal condition won’t greatly interfere with your everyday life and self-esteem.  With this, it’s important to be aware of all the PCOS symptoms and treatment options for the improvement of your overall wellness. Online pharmacies like Getmeds Philippines offer a wide range of contraceptive pill brands that you can choose from and even delivered to your doorstep for your convenience.

Cancer risk factors in women often stem from a combination of their family’s medical history, environmental exposures, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and genetic mutations. As cancer continues to be a disease that affects FIlipinos not only physically, but emotionally and financially as well (due to cancer therapy cost), the need to enlighten people on how to lessen the chances of developing the said serious illness is more prominent. Especially if we consider the fact that in the Philippines, the incidence rate for cancer in females are significantly higher than males, with breast cancer reported to have the highest incidence and mortality rate for both sex nationwide, establishing its prevalence and the urgency to do the necessary preventive measures against it. 

What are the Most Common Cancer in Women

The usual cancer risk age starts after 45 years old, but there’s still a possibility of having the disease when you’re already over 74 years old or when you’re still young (although rare). These are the 5 most common cancers in females:

• Breast
• Colon and rectum
• Cervical 
• Endometrial 
• Ovarian 

What Increases Cancer Risks in Women

As mentioned, the factors that increases the risk of women having cancer are:

• Family health history: Members of your family (by blood) are known to easily develop cancer.
• Exposure to environmental risks: Being exposed to air pollution, radiation, chemicals, and the like.
• Unhealthy lifestyle choices: Drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, etc.
• Genetic changes: This is when cells start to become abnormal and go out of control.

These variables can contribute to a woman’s susceptibility to cancer, causing them to have a higher chance of developing the said illness if they’re not mindful enough — most especially with risk factors like unhealthy lifestyle choices and being exposed to environmental risks that they can be proactive about when it comes to its prevention. Can Cancer Risk Be Reduced in Women On the question, can cancer be prevented in women, there are certainly measures that can be done in order to reduce the risk of developing any harmful tumor in the body. There are a lot of things that a person can do to prevent cancer from developing in the body or even for its further spread in the case that the disease is already present. You only need to be determined and consistent in ensuring that you take care of yourself by getting rid of bad habits that could make you susceptible to the illness, as well as being well-informed about what other information you ought to know to lessen the risks.

12 Easy Lifestyle Changes to Help Women Prevent Cancer

Now that you’re aware that there are ways on how to lower cancer risk, you must be wondering what are the best ways to prevent cancer that you can easily incorporate in your day-to-day life.  Here are 12 simple steps that you can use as reference for its prevention:

1. Avoid drinking alcohol
2. Avoid smoking or using tobacco
3. Manage your weight
4. Eat fruits and vegetables
5. Avoid eating ultra-processed foods and meat
6. Exercise regularly
7. Use sunscreen and sun protective clothing
8. Lessen exposure to outdoor and indoor pollution
9. Be cautious of the behaviors that can put you at high risk
10. Get the essential vaccines
11. Be familiar with your family’s medical history
12. Get routinely screened for cancer

Let’s dive into them individually.

1. Avoid drinking alcohol

All alcoholic drinks, such as red wine, white wine, beer, and liquor are all beverages that you should lessen consumption of or abandon completely to reduce cancer risk.  There may be a higher likelihood of having malignancy in the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, colorectum, liver, and breast if you do not refrain from consuming alcohol.  Instead, you can indulge in other drinks that can be substituted to alcohol like alcohol-free wine, mocktails, sparkling water, tea, and fresh juices.

2. Avoid smoking or using tobacco

Without a doubt, the use of tobacco products can do significant harm to your body. Aside from how it’s one of the leading causes of lung cancer, it can cause the oncological disease to develop almost anywhere including the bladder, blood, cervix, colorectum, kidney, liver, mouth, throat, pancreas, stomach, and larynx. Which is why in general, smoking is strongly discouraged by doctors due to the detrimental effects it has on an individual. Not to mention that you may become addicted to nicotine upon using tobacco products for a long time.  Even electronic cigarettes are still considered harmful along with inhaling smoke coming from smokers surrounding you (also known as secondhand smoking).

3. Manage your weight

It’s been indicated that being overweight or being obese can increase a person’s chances of developing cancer. This is because of how it can lead to long-term inflammation and higher levels of sex hormones, insulin, and insulin-like growth factors. To determine if someone is overweight, their body mass index (BMI) will be calculated. You can do this by dividing your weight in kilograms and your height in meters squared. If your BMI is from 25.0 to 29.9, you are considered overweight; if it’s 30.0 or higher, you are considered obese. The types of malignancy that are linked to obesity are: meningioma, adenocarcinoma, multiple myeloma, kidney, uterus, ovaries, thyroid, breast, liver, gallbladder, upper stomach, pancreas, and colorectum. Read also: 8 Tips to Maintain a Healthy Weight of Your Body 

4. Eat fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are among the foods that lower cancer risk. The plants that contain phytonutrients are the ones typically recommended in order to lessen the chances of being susceptible to the oncological disease.  It includes the following:

• Berries
• Beans
• Broccoli
• Grapes
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Whole grains

Of course, aside from the foods mentioned in the list, there are a lot of healthy diet options that you can incorporate in your meals. Each food offers different kinds of nutrients that you may not be able to get from any other food, hence it’s important to keep your options open when it comes to eating other plant-based foods.

5. Avoid eating ultra-processed foods and meat

Examples of ultra-processed foods are:

• Ice cream
• Ham
• Sausages
• Breakfast cereals
• Biscuits
• Carbonated drinks or soft drinks
• Chips
• Yogurts
• Instant soups

Ultra-processed foods are bad for our health because they contain ingredients like saturated fat, salt and sugar which when taken in high levels can prompt our body to make less space for nutrients. Moreover, the other additives found in these foods can cause other bad side effects to our health. As for processed meat, there are:

• Hot dogs
• Bologno
• Bacon
• Salami
• Lunch meat
• Sausage
• Corned beef
• Pepperoni
• Chorizo

Processed meat is among the foods to avoid if you want to prevent cancer. Due to how it has nitrates and nitrites, the chemicals used to preserve it and maintain its color. In the instances these chemicals are added to processed meat and then later on exposed to heat, it can potentially harm the colon by triggering cells to mutate and subsequently form tumors.

6. Exercise regularly

Women’s risk of breast cancer can be lessened upon being physically active and exercising regularly. It can help with losing weight, which is another preventive measure against developing malignant cells, and can help with reducing the chances of contracting other diseases that can bring significant harm to your health (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, dementia, and depression). These exercises do not have to be too tiring or would require maximum effort — but even just small activities like walking from one place to another or climbing a flight of stairs are enough. Further, to answer the question how does exercise prevent cancer effectively, it all comes down to the way exercising can regulate certain hormones and make the immune system healthy. 

7. Use sunscreen and sun protective clothing

Two types of UV rays (UVA and UVB) can both penetrate the skin, damaging the skin and possibly causing skin cancer. It can cause sunburns, as well as skin ageing — hence, in order to be protected against it, the use of sunscreen and sun protective clothing is recommended. The more times you get sunburnt, the higher chances you can get this kind of skin disease. This is because sunburn is an indication that your skin is trying to repair itself and its cells’ DNA have been harmed by excessive UV radiation.  Aside from using sunscreen and sun protective clothing to lower cancer risk, other ways you can stay safe from UV rays are:

• Staying in a shaded area if it’s sunny outside
• Avoiding tanning beds, booths, and sunlamps
• Wearing sunglasses
• Avoid being outside in general from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (the time wherein UV radiation is at its strongest in the Philippines)

If not practiced, you may be more susceptible to skin cancers like basal cell and squamous cell cancers and melanoma. Read our guide about shielding your skin from sunburn and tan.

8. Lessen exposure to outdoor and indoor pollution

Air pollution is considered to be a rising determinant among recognized lung cancer risk factors in recent times. Apart from that, being exposed to air pollution also puts you at risk of other respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, this not only makes reducing air pollution exposure an essential step to female cancer prevention, but a vital course of action in ensuring that respiratory health does not become compromised. You can protect yourself from being exposed to either outdoor or indoor pollution by avoiding going outside if you know air pollution is currently bad in your area, not burning wood or trash, and wearing a high quality face mask whenever you’re commuting and being exposed to air pollution is unavoidable.

9. Be cautious of the behaviors that can put you at high risk

Some behaviors that can put you at high risk are having multiple sexual partners and not using protection during intercourse. This makes you more susceptible to contracting human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that can alter the cell’s DNA which can lead to abnormal cell growth. Using a condom as a form of protection can decrease HPV cancer risk in women. You may also opt to use female condoms specifically if you’re willing to be the one who’ll be responsible for using protection during sexual intercourse. Another behavior that can put you at risk is sharing needles with other people. This is usually done by drug-users, making your well-being not only endangered because of drug abuse, but also because of the health threats that come along with needle-sharing like health conditions hepatitis B and hepatitis C. On the other hand, when it comes to the speculated link between cancer risk and birth control, studies have confirmed that although breast cancer risk in women might elevate upon the use of contraceptives, it wouldn’t be of concern considering how the percentage is only a little and that it would be gone when you stop using them. Additionally, birth control pills have proven to also lower risk for cancers like endometrial, ovarian, and colorectal.

10. Get the essential vaccines

Two of the essential immunizations that an individual can take to lower cancer risk are HPV vaccines and hepatitis B vaccines. These mentioned vaccines can prevent cancers in the cervix, throat, and stomach among others. Moreover, hepatitis B vaccines can also lessen chances of developing chronic liver infections. Adults and children are recommended to take these shots for the betterment of their overall health.

11. Be familiar with your family’s medical history

Often, breast cancer risk in women occurs due to the fact that family members have had the disease themselves. It can either be because of having similar habits, staying in the same environment, or purely because of genes that make the health condition hereditary. To know about your family’s health history, you should gather your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces, and nephews to talk about this matter. Basically the relatives that you have who are related to you by blood. The question topics you can address to them are:

• Who has/had cancer?
• What type did you have?
• How old were you when you were diagnosed?
• Do we have other relatives that passed away due to the disease? If yes, what type were they diagnosed with and what age were they diagnosed with it as well?

Being aware of the answers for the questions above can make a huge difference in determining whether you are at risk or not. There are some types that put you at higher risk in the event that a relative of yours had it too before they hit 50 years old, or if some family members from both sides of the family have had history with the oncological disease.

12. Get routinely screened for cancer

If you want to know how to prevent cancer or find it early, then getting screened is one of the things that you should definitely keep in mind. It can help doctors identify if there are any abnormal tissues or growths in your body that should be looked into, and if there are other tests that you ought to undergo to determine if the presence of malignant tumors are really there. In getting screened (and depending on the type), you can either be screened by a health professional or conduct self-exams. The latter is particularly helpful in identifying any body changes  for instances like lifetime breast cancer risk in women wherein you can examine your breasts yourself and determine any changes you may want to discuss with your doctor the next time you make a visit. See our list of 14 essential cancer screening tests for women that you can do in the Philippines for your guidance. In Summary There are a lot of things you can do for female cancer prevention. From the bad habits you should stop doing, the changes you should make in your diet, and the exercises you can do to be more physically active — all of these play a role in ensuring that you are in your best health and that you are not easily susceptible to developing any kind of illness. The most common cancers in women are in breast, colorectal, cervix, uterus, and ovaries. There are a lot of factors that contribute to why they develop the said disease, with high levels of testosterone as one factor of increased cancer risk in women, as well as even their family passing it down to them hereditarily. Therefore, it’s good to familiarize yourself with the things you can do to make your body stronger and more resistant to cancer, and to be consistent with them to reach greater results.  

Contraceptive use among Filipino women has shown a notable increase from 8.3 million in 2022 to over 8.6 million recently based on the report of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). Among the several forms of birth control that is available in the Philippines, oral contraceptives are claimed to be the most prominent that they rely on, with 34.48 percent of the 8.6 million women choosing it as their prime choice when it comes to preventing pregnancy.  Next to that, other contraceptive methods that they often opt for are injections (20.66 percent of Pinays are using this) and implants. The growing number of women being more comfortable with using birth control has contributed to the country’s lower birth rate, causing the fertility rate of the Philippines to be recognized as below replacement level — with a data of 1.9 children in women — which means our population rate cannot maintain its current size over time. Further, this makes it clear that Pinays have become more empowered to decide for themselves and to be open to other opportunities they can pursue in life. As women are not limited to roles that only involve being the primary caretakers of their family and managing the household, it’s good that they’re venturing out and choosing better choices for themselves. CPD executive director, Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales additionally claims that it’s significant that we as a society continue to provide women the platforms to influence change, especially regarding matters that concern meeting their full potential as an individual and the freedom to have their desired number of children and spacing of their births. All of these efforts align to the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action or PPD-POA 2023-2028 that showcases eight central tactics that involve the advancement of the women population from various demographics. Not to mention, upon celebrating national women’s month this March, this news brings attention to how associations ought to give women a boost and help them meet their needs regarding economic success and meaningful empowerment by giving them a platform wherein they can address their concerns. Bersales continues to say that they are committed in enhancing societal development prospects for Filipino women, ensuring that they can undertake other population issues and challenges that the said census group has so they can in turn improve the entirety of the Philippines’ socioeconomic potential, as well as the overall standard of living for all countrymen.  If you’re interested in using oral contraceptives yourself but are having a hard time deciding which brand is for you, check out our guide in finding the best contraceptive pill in the Philippines for your reference. Read also: Contraceptive Pills May Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk   

Cancer screening in the Philippines is a highly recommended procedure that should be done once you fall under a certain age. This is to check if there are abnormalities or significant changes in your body that should be brought to your attention, especially if these changes point to the possibility of having cancer which according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), is one of the leading causes of death for Filipinos nationwide, causing the disease to be recognized as a serious public health concern. In the case of women, there are several malignancy subtypes that they may unknowingly develop due to family history with the serious illness, gene mutations, lifestyle choices, radiation exposure, and other similar factors. However, despite this, only a few women go out of their way to undergo tumor detection tests, with 540,000 women out of 54 million doing so. This raises the need for awareness when it comes to the significance of regular cancer screening tests for females, as well as what advantages can early cancer detection tests bring to one’s well-being. 

What is the Difference Between Cancer Screening and Cancer Diagnosis

There’s a misconception between getting screened for the said oncological disease and being diagnosed with it. For most, they may view the two things as the same — but they are not. Cancer screening deals with finding abnormal tissues that may turn out to be a harmful tumor, while a cancer diagnosis is an official confirmation that the presence of malignancy is already there.  It’s essential that we know the difference between the two to avoid unnecessary panic and for us to be further informed about the next steps we ought to take after partaking in the process of getting screened or being told by your doctor that you are now diagnosed with it.  Usually, after having yourself come in for oncological screening, you may be recommended to do more tests in order to reach a definite diagnosis about your health condition. An example of a diagnostic procedure that you may be asked to do after getting screened with signs of malignancy is a biopsy wherein they take a sample of your cell or tissue to check if you indeed have the disease.  Therefore, rather than cancer screening and cancer diagnosis being the same — they work hand in hand in identifying whether you have the mentioned disease or not. 

What is the Importance of Regular Cancer Screenings

The goal of cancer screening is to look for any signs of abnormal cell growth in the body before the symptoms begin to appear. As cancer screening and early detection are two factors that can lead to a more successful treatment, it’s encouraged that those who are at high risk of having the serious illness should take initiative in being screened for it in order to prevent the spread of the disease in the event that early detection takes place. And this means not being screened only once in your life and never doing it again. Depending on the malignancy subtype you may be at risk of developing, as well as how old you are, you may need to regularly undergo cancer screenings to make sure that there are no concerning changes in your body that can be identified as a harmful tumor. The typical interval before you may be asked to submit to a screening again is 1 to 10 years. Of course, the specifics of this is based on the kind of malignancy you are targeting and what your healthcare provider suggests. 

What are the Benefits of Early Cancer Detection

There are several benefits that come along in the early detection of cancer, namely: Faster recovery: Since the disease will be identified before it’s in advanced stages, doctors can prescribe the corresponding treatment that would lead to its faster recovery.  Prevents the further spread of malignant cells: Certain types of cancer are known to spread quickly in the body. With early cancer detection, having the right treatments can stop malignant cells from spreading to other organs and worsening your condition. Better chances of survival: Particularly if we’re talking about long-term survival, having the opportunity of treating the illness before it can significantly bring harm to your body is important. Most of the time, the oncological disease is detected when it’s already in its advanced stages, meaning this would be harder to treat or possibly cure. Less treatment, less cost: Naturally, when there are less treatments to do since the tumor is not that bad yet or not has spread to other parts of the body, then the cost in spending for treatments lessens as well. This is beneficial for those who are struggling with their other expenses and who don’t have the financial capabilities of sustaining chemotherapy treatments.

What to Consider Before Getting Screened for Cancer

Now that you’re aware of oncological screenings and the good it can contribute to your health, you should also know what other factors you should think about before making an appointment to have yourself screened for the serious disease. This is to ensure that you’ll be 100% comfortable with what you’ll be undergoing and that you can prepare for it accordingly for a better experience.

Risks and Disadvantages

Like any other procedure, there can be risks involved in getting screened for cancer. In some cases, it’s been said that the cons may outweigh the pros, hence other people’s reluctance in being screened for the disease. However, your doctor may recommend for you to undergo it if they see that it will bring more good than bad. Some risks and disadvantages that involves cancer screening are:

• False-positive test results: There may be instances wherein a screening shows that a person has early signs of malignancy even though they do not have it. 
• False-negative test results: There is also a chance that screening results may indicate that a person does not have early signs of malignancy, but the disease is actually present.
• Some tests may lead to more procedures, which may be harmful: If a screening comes out positive, there’s a high likelihood that you may be asked to do a couple of more diagnostic procedures to make sure that you really do have the disease. These procedures may be risky for your health, and doesn’t even guarantee that a confirmed diagnosis will come out after.
• Overdiagnosis may occur: This is when a disease is diagnosed, but the said disease is not that relevant or doesn’t pose a serious concern. Hence, diagnosing a disease that wouldn’t be of concern would only cause unnecessarily worries to the patient about their health condition even though it doesn’t significantly threaten their well-being. In this scenario, there are some tumors that may never cause problems or require treatment, which leads to its discovery irrelevant.

Scheduling and Precautions

For certain screening tests, it involves getting tissue samples and/or examining parts of your body such as the breast, cervix, vulva, and the like to thoroughly check if an individual has any abnormal cells or if any physical manifestations of the disease are appearing. For women who regularly get their periods, it’s best to schedule your screening appointment during a time wherein it wouldn’t be a problem to partake in these tests.  Make sure that your body is in good condition before being screened. Have a thorough conversation with your doctor too about the tests you’ll have to do so you’ll know what you’ll be doing and can prepare accordingly. There are tests that require you to fast for a few hours, to stop taking medications for the meanwhile, and to temporarily alter your diet for an easier screening process.

What are the 14 Screening Tests You Can Do for Early Cancer Detection

There are various screening procedures that one can do as an early cancer detection test. It all comes down to what malignancy subtype you are more susceptible to having — based on your family history, lifestyle, age, etc. — and what would be safe or appropriate for your current well-being.  This list also showcases examples of cancer screening tests in the Philippines that you may use as your reference.

Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines

Health professionals typically recommend 40 years old as the starting age for breast cancer screening. From that point forward, women should be screened every two (2) years. Keep in mind that you may be discouraged to do the following breast cancer screening procedures if you are/have: 

• Pregnant
• Actively breastfeeding
• An extremely dense breast tissue
• An acute illness
• Had a surgery recently

Mammogram

This involves taking an x-ray of the breast, usually two x-rays for each breast. This screening procedure may detect abnormal cells in the breast duct and is done by pressing the breast between two plates. There are four types of mammograms:

1. Screen-film mammography (SFM): X-ray picture of the breast
2. Digital mammography (DM): Computer picture of the breast
3. Synthetic 2-dimensional mammography (S2D): Pictures of the breast from two angles, usually from top to bottom and side to side.
4. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT): Newer type of mammogram. The way this works is that a machine takes several x-rays of your breast, arcing over it and letting your doctor see your breast tissues in 3D. 

Before doing this exam, don’t wear any deodorants, lotions, powders, cream, and perfume under your arm or along the area of your breast. 

Breast exams

This is when you or a healthcare professional examine and feel your breasts, checking if there is anything different or would be of significant concern. Since it’s an easy way of examining your breasts, doctors recommended doing it every month so that you can be familiarized with your own breast and take notice of anything unusual without difficulty. You can do this cancer screening at home via self-exam. Even though it’s advised to do self-exams for familiarity purposes, this doesn’t mean you should skip visiting a doctor to have yourself professionally checked.  For women who still have their periods, it’s suggested to do a breast exam after your period is done.

Breast MRI

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a procedure that involves the use of magnets and radio waves to get a detailed image of organs and structures inside the body — and in this case, the breast. A dye (gadolinium) may be injected to the vein for radiologists to see your breast tissues or blood vessels in a clearer manner. It is advised that for women who still regularly have their periods, they should schedule a breast MRI appointment around 5 to 15 days of your menstrual cycle. Talk to your doctor about this so they can set the best time for you to do this exam.

Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

Screening for cervical cancer is recommended for women as early as the age of 21 and should be done every three (3) years. However, for those aged 30 and above, it is more appropriate for them to to be screened every five years You may be encouraged to have frequent cervical cancer screening procedures if you are/have:

• Weak immune system
• HIV positive
• Been exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) before birth
• Had cervical cancer before
• Had a recent abnormal cervical biopsy result

Pap smear

Sometimes referred to as a pap test or cervical cytology, this test involves taking cervical cells by using a medical device called a speculum to gently open your vagina and in order to see the cervix, where they will use a soft brush or a small spatula to get a sample of cells from this organ.  Do refrain from doing the following two days prior before getting yourself screened with this procedure:

• Having vaginal sex 
• Using tampons, vaginal creams, birth control foams, birth control jellies, and lubricants

It’s also best to do this test at the end of your period or when you don’t currently have it so that it won’t interfere with the results.

HPV testing

This type of testing is usually done alongside a pap smear. It has the same process as the said procedure, but instead of the cervix cells being only checked if they are normal, an HPV test checks if the presence of human papillomavirus is there that can potentially lead cells to change over time.

Ovarian Cancer Screening Guidelines

There isn’t a specific cancer screening age in which a woman is asked to start for ovarian cancer, and in general, getting screened for it is not recommended by doctors unless you begin to show some symptoms or you have a family history of having the disease. Nonetheless, it has been observed that ovarian cancer usually affects older women, particularly those who are postmenopausal. 

Transvaginal Ultrasound (TVUS)

This is a procedure that involves putting an ultrasound wand (transducer) inside the vagina and using soundwaves to see the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Doing this would help in seeing a tumor inside the ovary — however, it’s worth noting that whether this tumor is malignant or not, a TVUS won’t be able to identify it, hence you may need to do another procedure to confirm if it’s malignant. Prior to your appointment for this test, your doctor may suggest that you arrive with a bladder that is either empty, full, or half-empty. This is because your bladder can impact how your organs may look via ultrasound. It is also okay to do this test regardless if you’re on your period or not.

CA-125 blood test

This is mostly recommended for women who are considered to be of high risk in developing ovarian cancer. It is meant to measure the protein CA-125 in the blood, since women who have this serious illness typically have high levels of CA-125. However, despite it, there have also been scenarios wherein those with ovarian cancer do not have high levels of CA-125, therefore making this test not 100% reliable. Not to mention that oftentimes, high CA-125 levels are more associated with other health conditions like endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines

Individuals who are aged 45 years old and above are advised to undergo colorectal or bowel cancer screening. The usual interval is 5 or 10 years, although it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider regarding this since it also depends on your current well-being when the next screening would be optimal for your health. Take note that you may be prevented from doing the following colorectal cancer screening procedures if you are/have: 

• Serious inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.)
• Had a recent surgery in the small or large intestines
• Had severe intestinal obstruction

Colonoscopy & Virtual Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is a procedure that involves looking through the insides of your large intestine that covers the colon, rectum and anus. A thin and flexible tube that has a camera and light called an endoscope is used to navigate your colon, entering through anus and sending pictures of how your large intestine looks from the inside to the screen it’s connected to. On the other hand, a virtual colonoscopy — or sometimes referred to as a computerized tomography (CT) colonography — is a type of CT scan that works by taking several x-rays of your colon in multiple different angles. Afterwards, the x-rays are converted into 3D images of your colon’s insides. These two will help the doctor in finding any small growths or any abnormal areas in the colon and rectum. Before doing this test, your doctor may require you to:

• Have a low-fiber diet three or two days prior to your appointment
• Have an exclusive all liquid diet on the day before
• Take a laxative to stimulate bowel movement and have you release any fecal matter the afternoon or evening before your exam

These measures are essential so that images taken from your colonoscopy will be clear and don’t have any obstructions.

Sigmoidoscopy

Similar to a colonoscopy, this procedure involves an endoscope to examine your large intestine and to check if there are any small growths or any abnormal areas — only this time, it focuses more on its lower part (sigmoid colon and may extend even to the descending colon).  Therefore, it may also be necessary for you to have a low-fiber diet three to two days prior to your examination, an exclusive all liquid diet the day before, and to take a laxative the night before you’re scheduled for your test.

Stool tests

This is a test that involves taking a sample of your stool to see if there are blood or genetic mutations that could be pointed to colorectal cancer.  There are three types of stool tests for the mentioned disease:

• Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT): Uses the chemical guaiac to identify blood in your stool.
• Fecal immunochemical test (FIT): Utilizes antibodies to identify blood in your stool.
• FIT-DNA test: This combines FIT and another test that uses altered DNA to test the stool.

For gFOBT and FIT, you can do them annually while for FIT-DNA, every three years is the recommended interval.

Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines

The reported cancer screening age for this disease is 50 years old, with individuals who have a history of smoking and those who currently still smoke being further encouraged to be screened for the illness.  It is also recommended to be done yearly, until the individual has turned 81 years old (in which it is highly unlikely that they’ll develop the disease) or it is stated that the patient won’t be benefitting from the screening anymore.

Low-dose helical computed tomography (LDCT)

This procedure involves taking pictures of the inside of your chest to see if there are any small masses in your lungs that could be identified as a tumor.  To do this, you will be subjected to a CT scanner, a scanning machine that resembles a tube. From there, you’ll be:

1. Asked to remove any jewelry or any metallic object attached to your body
2. Lie on a be
3. Brought to the scanning machine where the scanner will rotate around your body as it takes pictures (sometimes even moving the bed you’re lying on forward and backward).  

What are Other Screening Methods to Detect Cancer

Aside from the screening tests mentioned above, there are other kinds that are used to identify other types of the said disease that may be present in your body.

Skin exams (for skin cancer)

Since skin cancer is said to be common among individuals, it’s important to familiarize ourselves with the simple tests that come along in checking for it. For skin cancer screening, you or your healthcare provider only need to examine moles, birthmarks, and any pigmented area of the skin with these signs in mind:

• Asymmetry: Is it an irregular shape?
• Border: Is it blurry or has irregularly shaped edges?
• Color: Does the mole have more than one color?
• Diameter: Is it larger than 6 millimeters?
• Evolution: Is it getting larger, changing in shape, color, or size?

In doing a cancer screening at home through a self-exam, don’t forget to check your scalp, the bottom of your feet, fingernails, toenails, and even your genitals as these areas need to be assessed as well.  You may also be prevented from undergoing this screening if you currently have:

• Extensive burns
• Open wounds
• Active infections

A yearly screening is recommended once you turn 18 years old, which is the appropriate cancer screening age for this health condition. 

Multi-cancer Early Detection (MCED) tests

These are tests that involve taking a sample of your blood and screening it to detect several types of the fatal disease. However, since MCED tests are relatively new, there aren’t a lot of clinical trials yet that would support its effectiveness. Nonetheless, it’s considered as an innovative invention to the healthcare industry that can bring significant difference to how people are screened for the oncological illness (includes pancreatic, prostate, kidney, lung, breast, skin, ovarian, and liver cancer) and how cancer screening blood tests for females can give more significant results that can lead to the higher probability of early detection.  Some examples of MCED tests are:

• Screening for the Presence of Tumor by Methylation and Size (SPOT-MAS): This detects the tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood and is advised more for older people (40 years old and older) and those who have other health conditions brought by genetics and unhealthy habits.
• Galleri blood test: This one acts more as an addition to routine tumor detection tests since it cannot detect all types of the disease, and is recommended for those 50 years old and older.

What to Do If Your Cancer Screening Test Shows Abnormal Results

After you get screened and get the results, there’s a chance that these results show that you’re positive for the presence of abnormal tissues or mass in your body. Despite this, it does not mean that the tumor found is harmful or requires immediate attention. There are two types of tumors:

• Benign: Noncancerous, slow-growing, does not spread, and may not need treatment
• Malignant: Cancerous, fast-growing, spreads, and needs treatment

Your healthcare provider may ask that you undergo diagnostic procedures in order to make a clear diagnosis whether you have a malignant tumor or not. Make sure to have an in-depth discussion about the matter so that you’ll be aware of all the risks and the advantages that come along with going through such procedures. In Summary The importance of cancer screening awareness in the Philippines should be more known among Filipinos for the early detection and prevention of cancer. As it’s a disease that continues to be one of the reasons behind the increase of the country’s mortality rate, a full cancer check ought to be practiced so that there are higher chances for survival and a lesser cost for treatments. Remember that cancer screenings and cancer diagnosis are not the same. In the event that your cancer screening shows that you have abnormal tissues in your body — this does not automatically mean you have the mentioned illness. It just means that you may have to do more tests and procedures for your doctor to determine if you do have the disease or not. Further, do not hesitate in asking anything you may want to know about cancer screening to your oncologist before you undergo its tests. This is to make sure that you’re aware of the pros and cons that comes along with being screened for the said health condition, and that you know what to expect on the day of your appointment itself. Early cancer detection tests are significant for the betterment of your well-being. It can lead to faster recovery at the instance that you are diagnosed with having malignant cells, helping you manage the expenses that come along in getting treated for the disease and decreasing the likelihood that it’ll spread to other parts and organs of your body.

Contraceptive pills, or birth control pills, are primarily known and used to prevent pregnancy, however a new research study from the University of South Australia (UniSA) shared that contraceptive pills can lessen the chances of contracting ovarian cancer, as discovered through a screening with the use of artificial intelligence. Supported by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), researchers from UniSa conducted a study wherein they had access to the medical data of 221,732 women who on an average were aged 37 to 73 years old in the UK Biobank and utilized artificial intelligence to analyze their records.  Results showed that 26% of those women who have used oral contraceptives before are at less risk of developing ovarian cancer because of the use of the pill — the same goes for 43% of those women who were already aged over 45, with their chances even indicated to be lower. Moreover, the research gave way to the learning that women who have undergone childbirth for two or more children have a lowered risk of having ovarian cancer in comparison to women who have yet to have children.  They also found a few biomarkers that are linked to ovarian cancer, particularly those that can identify what could lessen the risk of it. Among these identifiers are several characteristics of red blood cells, specific liver enzymes in the blood, lower body weight, and shorter stature. Dr. Amanda Lumsden, a UniSa researcher, emphasized the significance of being aware of the risks and precautionary measures one can take when it comes to ovarian cancer in order to boost better treatments and outcomes regarding the disease. She added that ovarian cancer is at its worst when detected during its late stages and that 70% of its cases are often only diagnosed when it’s already notably advanced. This then leads to a lower survival rate of less than 30% over five years, which is significantly different if compared to more than 90% of ovarian cancer cases that were diagnosed early, hence highlighting the value of recognizing its risk factors. Given the research’s findings about contraceptive pills lowering the risk of ovarian cancers with women who use them, it gave way to the theory that methods to suppress ovulation may be a potential prevention strategy for ovarian cancer.  Professor Elina Hyppönen, the lead for the project, further expressed that spotting the factors that can help in recognizing what could put individuals at risk of ovarian cancer is supplemental in improving survival rates as efforts to prevent and detect the disease early are implemented.  She saw it as exciting that recent data-driven analyses are capable of revealing ovarian key risk factors that we can do something about. Specifically with contraceptive pill use for inhibiting ovulation that lessens the chances of developing ovarian cancer, it shows that more research does initiate the best methods in preventing the development of the health condition and the methods to resort to for identifying the women who are at most risk.  On another angle, UniSA’s machine learning specialist by the name of Dr. Iqbal Madakkatel claimed that this study displayed the competence of artificial intelligence in detecting risk factors that would have normally been undetected.  They each measured 3,000 diverse characteristics related to health, medication use, diet and lifestyle, physical measures, metabolic, and hormonal factors at the beginning of the research. Among the aforementioned, blood measures were particularly seen to be predictive in identifying ovarian cancer risk, suggesting that the development of tests for early stage detection for ovarian cancer in women may be achievable. In general, aside from preventing pregnancy, contraceptive pills have been recommended by doctors to manage symptoms of hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and severe discomfort during your monthly period.  It all comes down to the type of oral contraceptives that you buy and what’s best suited for your needs. There are several brands for birth control pills that you can choose from — those that can be used even if you’re actively breastfeeding or if you have certain health conditions. Contraceptive pills in the Philippines are widely available. You can purchase them in most pharmaceutical establishments nationwide like Getmeds, which offers both prescription medicine and OTC products at an affordable price. They can also have your medicine delivered to your doorstep for your convenience.