Women undergo free cervical, breast cancer screening in QC

MANILA, Philippines — Women of various ages took part in a free cancer screening offered by the Quezon City local government and various government agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), among others, on Friday.

According to Ana Yusigne, 29 years old, she was taking a cervical exam as a routine health check-up.

READ: Only 1% of PH women screened for breast, cervical cancer

“Para siyempre malaman, kung negative, ganyan, lalo na ‘pag siyempre meron kang partner, dapat aware ka rin sa katawan mo,” Yusigne said in an interview with INQUIRER.net.

(Of course, to know if it’s negative, especially if you have a partner, you should be aware of your body.)

She added that this was her second time doing a cervical screening.

Meanwhile, Marian Sarmiento, 43 years old, said that she was doing a screening as preparation for in-vitro fertilization or IVF.

“Need ko maging okay sa lahat, sa lahat ng aspect ng health ko, para ‘yong baby ko, maging healthy rin,” Sarmiento said.

(I need to be okay in all aspects of my health so that my baby will be healthy also.)

Aside from cervical cancer, the free service also offered breast cancer screenings.

Quezon City Mayor Ma. Josefina “Joy” Belmonte said in the cancer screening launch at the DILG-National Police Commission building that these conditions should be diagnosed and treated early.

“Both conditions are often diagnosed in advanced or late stages, but it is important to note that in breast and cervical cancers, the survival rate is high if these are detected and treated early,” Belmonte said.

READ: Bulacan expands Cervical Cancer Vaccination to immunize 21,000 young females

The campaign was also part of the DOH’s initiatives against cervical cancer, which it said was the third-leading cause of new cancer patients in Filipino women, according to the data of the Global Cancer Observatory of the World Health Organization in 2022.