The Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) has expanded its flagship ACT NOW (Access to Cancer Treatment Now) campaign, bringing life-saving cancer screening services to more underserved communities across the country.

During an awareness drive in Quezon City on Wednesday, PCS President Corazon Ngelangel announced the scaling up of its mobile cancer screening initiative, which currently focuses on breast, cervical, and prostate cancers.

The program will soon include artificial intelligence or AI-assisted screening for liver and lung cancer, enabling faster diagnosis and treatment.

“Early detection saves lives. This is not just a slogan, but a medical reality,” she said in a news release. “Our ACT NOW campaign bridges the gap between screening technology and the communities that need it most.”

According to the PCS, cancer remains the second leading cause of death nationally. Breast and cervical cancer are among the top cancers affecting Filipino women.

About 11,857 deaths annually are due to breast cancer with 32 Filipinos dying daily. Meanwhile, one life is lost every two minutes because of cervical cancer.

Moreover, late diagnosis is a significant problem in low and middle income countries. Most Filipino breast and cervical cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages due to limited access to screening services.

Since its launch in 2023, ACT NOW has reached 381 barangays and screened over 18,000 individuals through mobile clinics.

The initiative also introduced the “30-Day Screening to Treatment” model, designed to reduce the waiting time between diagnosis and care to 30 to 60 days.

These efforts are supported by the PCS Patient Navigation Program, which assists patients throughout their treatment journey.

The expansion aligns with global targets from the World Health Organization (WHO), including the 90-70-90 Cervical Cancer Strategy and the Global Breast Cancer Initiative’s 60-60-80 Targets.

These strategies aim to prevent millions of cancer deaths in low- and middle-income countries by 2030 and beyond.

“Every Filipino deserves access to early detection services,” PCS Board of Trustees Gloria Cristal-Luna said. “Together, we can ensure no Filipino woman dies from a cancer that could have been prevented or treated early.”

The PCS has been the country’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to cancer prevention for over 68 years, helping Filipino families fight the disease through its programs. (PNA)