Access to Surgical Treatment for Breast Cancer in the Philippines

• Main Authors: Co`, Luis Miguel B, Dee, Edward Christopher, Eala, Michelle Ann B, Ang, Samuel D, Ang, Christian Daniel U
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2022
• Subjects: Article; breast cancer; breast surgery; building; cancer incidence; cancer mortality; cancer surgery; coronavirus disease 2019; economic incentive; electronic medical record system; female; government; gross national product; health care; health care access; health care facility; health care system; help seeking behavior; high income country; human; laboratory personnel; laboratory test; lockdown; low income country; medical fee; middle income country; national health insurance; pandemic; Philippines; physician; productivity; purchasing power; socioeconomic; Southeast Asia; surgeon; telemedicine; travel; World Health Organization; Asian; breast tumor; epidemiology; income; Asians; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Income; Diseases; Medicine and Health Sciences; Neoplasms; Surgical Procedures, Operative
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/asmph-pubs/93; https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-022-12311-8
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide; however, while high-income countries have the highest incidence rates, lower-middle income countries have the highest mortality rates. In this article, we describe the landscape of disparities in access to surgical care for patients with breast cancer in the Philippines, a lower-middle income country in Southeast Asia. We describe the payment landscape that allows access to care for patients with non-metastatic disease, and draw attention to the fact that despite some degree of insurance for most Filipinos, great barriers to access remain in the form of a low number of surgical providers, geographic disparities, and persistent socioeconomic barriers. Lastly, we suggest steps forward to improve equity in access to surgical care for Filipino patients with breast cancer.