I MARKED my 10th anniversary as a breast cancer survivor last June 7—that’s 10 years since I received my diagnosis at age 48. Yet, I remember that day in 2013 like it was yesterday.
I had just had a routine mammogram and ultrasound, and I had taken my sweet time to schedule it, so it was delayed by over a year. Unlike in previous tests, however, the doctor checking the ultrasound images did not simply declare them normal; “There’s something here I cannot dismiss as benign,” she said somberly.
Thus began a rollercoaster of tests, consultations, waiting, decision-making, and endless anxiety. As a journalist, I had interviewed several survivors and doctors and knew enough about the disease, its effects and repercussions—but only on the theoretical level. You are never quite prepared for the realization that you yourself have become a statistic.
If only for her loved ones, a woman must be protected from serious health concerns.
Although it is a fact today that breast cancer is no longer a death sentence—especially with modern technology, the disease can indeed be beaten, which is why early detection is key—you are still confronted with your own mortality. You lose sleep just thinking about what you are going to do next. I’m single and have no children, so that was one less thing to worry about, as nobody depended on me for survival. At the time, however, I had an ageing mother, siblings, and friends who were alarmed at the news.
I was blessed to have inherited an excellent breast surgeon and a brilliant oncologist from a friend who had been diagnosed a year ahead of me. Within a month of learning I had cancer—survivorship begins on the day of a positive diagnosis—I had my tumor removed via a lumpectomy, with only the small affected portion of my breast removed. I was diagnosed with Stage 2A invasive ductal carcinoma, and subsequently had 12 sessions of chemotherapy and 33 sessions of radiation that would end in May of the following year, 2014.
Weakness and exhaustion
I remember quite clearly the weakness I felt from the chemotherapy, and the profound exhaustion I felt after radiotherapy. There was also the added pain of an infection of my surgical wound, and my adverse reaction to the radiation that left me with badly burnt breast skin. There was the constant, urgent need to eat healthier to help me fight the disease and the side effects of treatment; I drank vegetable juice, avoided sugar and raw food, and got plenty of rest, even as I continued to work so as not to stay idle or become bored.
More than anything, however, I worried constantly about the astronomical costs of treatment for cancer. It was a long, expensive journey—but fortunately, I had medical insurance, which I had invested in a few years earlier. Knowing I had some cash to count on made the burden a little easier to bear.
A feeling of security gives joy.
Although my journey began 10 years ago, today, cancer remains among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Philippines. The International Agency for Research on Cancer had estimated a total of over 153,000 new cancer cases in the country in 2021, with 17.7 percent (or about 27,163 people) diagnosed with breast cancer. Of this figure, 65 percent would be diagnosed with early stage cancer (Stage 0–Stage 2B), and six percent (1,630 people) with later stage cancer (Stage 3A–Stage 4).
The author during chemotherapy in 2013
It is because of this alarming statistic among Filipinos that AIA has backed a campaign known as Hope for the Breast, based on four tenets: that every Filipina deserves access to quality breast cancer education; that early detection must be brought to grassroots communities that need it the most; that strategic alliances must be established with organizations that can push the breast cancer agenda; and that breast cancer protection must be made accessible to everyone.
Protection
It is in line with the last goal that AIA has come up with a product to allow more women to have breast cancer insurance. Breast Cancer Protect is a peso-denominated non-participating term insurance plan that provides protection for women from breast cancer. The plan offers a fixed benefit from a breast cancer diagnosis or from death of P50,000, 100 percent of which will be paid if the insured is diagnosed (helping cover treatment expenses) or passes away (providing money to cover expenses or help surviving family) within the policy term of one year. With an annual premium of P450 for customers between the ages of 18 and 50, it’s an affordable added layer of protection that is easy to avail of; customers simply fill out an application form and answer a couple of health questions to avail of insurance coverage.
To this day, there are no confirmed causes for breast cancer, but there are several risk factors to bear in mind. Among those factors which women cannot control are age, as risk increases as one grows older, with most cases occurring in women aged 45 and above; family history, as five to 10 percent of breast cancers are considered hereditary; and breast cancer history, as having been previously diagnosed means a higher chance of recurrence in the other breast.
The author receiving her certificate of completion of chemotherapy—after 12 rounds—from Dr. Toni Ong at St. Luke’s Global City in 2014
Factors which women do have control over are weight and diet, as overweight women are more at risk, especially after menopause, and a person’s diet causes 30 to 40 percent of all cancers; alcohol and cigarettes, since drinking and smoking can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer; and pregnancy over age 30, as breastfeeding has been proven to actually decrease the risk of breast cancer.
As all breast cancer advocates have learned and continue to preach, prevention and early diagnosis are key, so regular self-examination (best done while bathing or lying down), regular breast exams by a medical professional, and regular mammograms after age 40 or if you have a family history are certainly essential.
Yes, there is life after breast cancer—especially if you had the foresight to protect yourself or your loved ones financially with additional breast cancer insurance.
Yes, there is life after breast cancer, for you as well as your loved ones.
Click here if you want to get protected with AIA Breast Cancer Protect Lite.
