The Silliman University Medical Center Foundation, Inc. (SUMCFI) is expanding and is getting ready to open its new Cancer Institute. Marking the start of this project is the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing and Groundbreaking Ceremony on March 22, Thursday, at the SUMC East Quadrangle/Parking Area where the building for the institute will soon be constructed.
The SUMCFI and the Philippine Oncology Center Corporation (POCC) are partnering with each other for the establishment of the first Cancer Institute in the Negros Island.
According to Dr. Geena Priscila Macalua-Labaco, an Oncologist and Chairperson of Special Medical Services and Hema-Oncology Unit of SUMCFI, “People need to appreciate that there are three (3) modalities for cancer treatment.” It is a common perception that chemotherapy is the only mode to treat cancer. There are actually two (2) other treatment approaches like surgery and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is a kind of treatment that uses medication to treat cancer while surgery is a procedure wherein the cancer tumor is removed from the body. Radiation therapy, on the other hand, is a non-invasive modality of cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill the cancer cells and shrink tumors.
At present, SUMCFI is only capable of the two modalities, chemotherapy and surgery. Patients who need radiation therapy will have to be referred to Iloilo, Cebu or Manila.
Dr. Macalua-Labaco said that opening the Cancer Institute is a big boost in the treatment of cancer and should be appreciated especially by cancer-stricken patients. She explained that it is now possible to have treatment interventions here in Dumaguete City that can vary from just one modality to a combination of two modalities or even all of the three modalities. At present, if the patient needs all three modalities or any combination that needs radiation therapy, there is no choice but to refer them to other centers in other cities. This, therefore, limits the treatment options.
Dr. Macalua-Labaco shares that based on experience, everything boils down to simple economics. Prohibitive factors that cancer patients face is not only the cost of treatment, although radiation therapy itself is covered by PhilHealth. It is also the cost of living that burdens most patients. Radiation therapy is not a one-day treatment. On average, it takes about a month. The high cost of living in the big cities where radiation therapy treatment is presently available makes treatment for the patient a difficult option for most families. Factor in the cost of board, lodging, transportation, costs for the caregivers, and accompanying family members, the financials escalate.
This then gives new hope specially to the less advantaged patients coming from southern Cebu, Siquijor, and Zamboanga del Norte in Mindanao, and other neighboring provinces since Dumaguete has a lower cost of living compared to other cities. The soon-to-open Cancer Institute will provide them with a lower total cost alternative for the same standard of cancer treatment.
“Opening the Cancer Institute is a clear case of providing a ‘glocal’ service … It brings state-of-the-art global standards of cancer treatment especially in radiation therapy in our locality. We are taking one step at a time to let the Hospital level up to become an honest-to-goodness referral center” says Mr. Roberto D. Montebon, SUMCFI President/Administrator.
Dr. Macalua-Labaco further states that despite widespread information campaigns, people get diagnosed at already advanced stages of cancer even for the most treatable of cancers, e.g., breast cancer. We can often blame this tragic situation to: 1) Lack of education — education still plays a vital role in early detection and ultimately cure; 2) Apathy and procrastination — Often people are aware of their affliction, but treatment is delayed because of failure to immediately seek treatment; 3) A misguided approach to herbal medicine as a cure-all — a false sense of confidence placed in treatments often hyped up by questionable advertising; 4) Fear and denial — fear of doctors and hospitals in general because people simply do not want to be confronted with sickness. We are all, to a certain degree, guilty of any of the four or even all of the above. People need to start advocating for their own well-being. Cancer can be treated and cured through early detection. Early detection is possible only with the discipline of having regular/yearly check-ups with your doctor.
Partnering with the Radiotherapy Expert, the Philippine Oncology Center Corporation (POCC). POCC was established by a group of successful entrepreneurs from different industries who had a common vision of serving Filipinos by opening cancer treatment centers in order to provide patients with cancer greater accessibility to the most advanced technology in cancer treatment and management. POCC is the first patient-centered & patient-friendly Radiotherapy Network of its kind in the country, and has gained close to 10 years’ experience as a world-class radiotherapy services provider. POCC is the country’s 1st stand-alone radiation oncology treatment center and is proud to be the first in the Philippines with fully integrated radiotherapy system, as well as the 1st to offer Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) in the country, the gold standard in external beam radiotherapy.
Early operations began with a soft opening on November 10, 2008, then finally the POCC flagship center in West Fairview, Quezon City formally opened its doors to provide cancer treatment services during its Grand Opening Day on February 21, 2009 which was attended by no less than the then Philippine Vice-President, Noli “Kabayan” de Castro and DOH Secretary Francisco Duque. The Fairview center is equipped with one (1) linear accelerator or “linac” capable of 2D conventional radiotherapy, 3D conformal radiotherapy and Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) modalities.
A year after, POCC forged a MOA with Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC), the DOH flagship hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila, for the supply, operation, and maintenance of radiotherapy machines and equipment such as dedicated Computed Tomography (CT) Scan machine for CT simulation, computerized treatment planning system, medical linear accelerator, and high dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy for its Department of Radiotherapy, otherwise known as JRRMMC-POCC Cancer Institute. Clinical operations began January 1, 2011 with one (1) linac, one (1) HDR brachytherapy afterloader, and one (1) CT Scan machine.
On September 1, 2014, POCC took over administration, management, and operation of the Radiotherapy Section of St. Frances Cabrini Medical Center and Cancer Institute in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Southern Luzon, Philippines. The Cabrini center now has two (2) linacs, one of which has the capability of the latest VMAT modality, as well as Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), with one (1) HDR brachytherapy afterloader, and one (1) CT Scan machine.
Then on August 31, 2016 POCC, started Bethany Cancer Center, another radio-oncology treatment center and ambulatory surgical clinic located at Bethany Hospital Inc. in San Fernando City, La Union with the aim bringing accessible cancer treatment and management services to patients with cancer. Formally opened on November 26, 2016, Bethany Cancer Center is equipped with one (1) linac which is the 1st IMRT-capable linac in Northern Luzon.
POCC then signed a MOA with Medical Center Manila (or more popularly known as ManilaMed) on December 8, 2015, with same-day groundbreaking, for a new state-of-the-art radio-oncology treatment center along U.N. Avenue, Ermita, Manila. The ManilaMed Radiation Therapy Unit started clinical operations in August 2017 with one (1) linear accelearator also capable of VMAT modality.
POCC in partnership with the De La Salle University Medical Center (DLSUMC) and its Jose Sotto Tantiansu (JST) Cancer Institute will soon a radiotherapy facility open in mid-2018 in Dasmariñas City, Cavite. POCC also forged a partnership with FEU-NRMF Medical Center in Quezon City for a radiotherapy facility.
POCC is regulated by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) and accredited by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and recognized by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as well as by select HMOs and insurance providers.
Today with SUMCFI joining the growing POCC Radiotherapy Network, POCC takes pride in its open centers that bring together cutting-edge technology with a pool of internationally-trained, board-certified Radiation Oncologists, and team of highly skilled experts, Medical Physicists and health care professionals applying multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approach in cancer treatment and management to serve more patients with cancer in Negros Oriental Province, Central Visayas Region.
The Partnership between SUMCFI and POCC
Generally, the partnership entails that the SUMCFI will be responsible for the construction of the structure for the Cancer Institute including the specialized linac treatment room called “the bunker”.
POCC, on the other hand, will provide the specialized radiation therapy equipment, state-of-the-art medical linac — with dual energy and 180 multi-leaf collimators (MLCs) capable of standard procedure to advanced radiotherapy modalities — and will be responsible for the management, operation, and maintenance of the Radiation Therapy Unit of the Cancer Institute.
A New Hope
Dr. Macalua-Labaco describes radiation therapy as life-saving and when it is not available or hard to afford, she is saddened to know that patients will just have to accept the fate that there is nothing more they can do.
Knowing the tremendous impact of the Cancer Institute in the improvement of cancer care in Negros Oriental and its neighboring provinces, the Hospital looks forward to the construction of the building for the Cancer Institute which hopefully will be operational during the last quarter of this year 2018.
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