OVER FIVE MILLION women are annually diagnosed with cancer worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of this number, 1.15 million are diagnosed with breast cancer, far exceeding those with uterine and cervical cancers (470,000), and ovarian cancer (190,000) for women, and prostate and testicular cancers (250,000) for men. Only lung cancer topped breast cancer as the most common cancer worldwide, with 1.20 million new cases diagnosed annually. (See Table 1)

Source: WHO World Health Statistics Report on Cancer, April 3, 2004

While largely seen as a female issue, the disease, of course, does not spare men, with one out of every 100 breast cancer diagnosis involving them. This makes breast cancer “something that can afflict everyone,” says Ina Quioge, Avon Cosmetics, Inc. (ACI) general manager. “Hindi namimili ito (this does not choose who it affects): rich or poor, (those with genetic predisposition to it) or no genetic (predisposition), old or young. It can really affect anyone.”
To increase awareness on the disease, ACI has been funding the fight against breast cancer through Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which, by 2004, provided over $350,000,000 to the breast cancer cause worldwide. Established in 1993, the crusade has managed to raise funds through various initiatives, including the sale of special “pink ribbon” products, with parts of the sales given to the cause; and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, a series of fundraising walks in various countries all over the world.

The funding is awarded to five areas, namely breast cancer awareness, screening and diagnosis, treatment, support services, and scientific research.
“We really want more people, not just women, to be aware (of it), and know that it can be prevented and cured (if caught at an early stage),” Quioge says.

Local approach to a global issue

Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast begin to grow to sizeable proportions that allow them to invade nearby tissues, or even spread through the body. The vast majority (over 80%) of these abnormal growths begin in either the milk ducts or the lobular (milk-producing) tissue (called ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma), which, if diagnosed early, are highly curable (thus called benign tumors) since they have yet to invade nearby tissues or lymph nodes. The tumors that reach a stage when they can spread throughout the body or invade nearby tissues (called malignant tumors) are considered to be the cancerous ones.

There are various factors causing cancer, though aside from family history and genetics, many have yet to be generally scientifically accepted. For women, however, the risk goes higher with aging. (See Table 2)

Source: Feuer EJ, Wun LM, DEVCAN: Probability of Developing or Dying of Cancer (Version 4.0. Bethesda MD: National Cancer Institute, 1999)

The problem is that because it may take months, even years, for a tumor to get large enough to be detected, many women fail to do so, consequently unfortunately leading to the development of breast cancer since early detection almost always translates to higher survival rates. (See Table 3) 



Source: American Cancer Society

In Asia, the Philippines actually has the highest number of women diagnosed with breast cancer (35-52 cases out of every 100,000). While this is better than many developed countries, like the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand that have the highest rates at 53-101 cases for every 100,000 women, the Philippines’ figure is still a far cry the 19-25 cases per 100,000 registered by neighboring Thailand, and the less than 19 per 100,000 in China and India.

“One Filipina dies of breast cancer every two hours,” Quioge says. “Over 10,000 cases are diagnosed annually – and that is only for those who have check-ups, so the (figure) is understated.”

Thus, as part of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, “the Philippine (ACI) chapter has been participating in doing the walk for five years now – all in order to call people’s attention to breast cancer,” Quioge says.

The funds raised from this year’s walk, estimated to reach P1 million, will be matched by ACI to help create needed services in local settings. More funds are expected to be raised from the specially issued lipsticks that sell for over P100, but with P5 for every sale donated to the crusade.

Currently held in 30 countries, with a symbolic ribbon passed from one walk to another “as a symbol that breast cancer affects everyone everywhere,” the crusade has actually been gaining grounds. For the first time this year, the Philippine participation widened to include Davao City in Mindanao, following Cebu City in the Visayas, which joined the effort a few years ago. Unofficial figures pegged the number of participants to have reached over 3,000 each in Davao and Cebu, and another 8,000 participants in Manila.

The localization of the effort to increase awareness on this issue was also boost by the selection of the Vicente Medical Center in Cebu, and the Davao Medical Center in Davao, as local beneficiaries of the walk, aside from the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, which, for the past four years, has been the sole beneficiary.
Already, ACI’s efforts have been recognized by, among others, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines as 2003’s Kapatid Award for Outstanding Achievement on Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Public Relations Society of the Philippines’ 2003 Anvil Award of Excellence for Best Public Relations Program in the Health Category. The Public Relations Society gave it the 2002 Anvil Award for the Public Affairs Management and Communications category, and the International Association of Business Communicators gave it the Gold Quill Award of 2003 Excellence for Best Public Relations Program.

“If only we can raise awareness for breast cancer, and encourage more and more women to do regular check-ups, we will see that less and less will fall victim to this disease,” Quioge says. “Hopefully in the future, walks like this will become obsolete because by then we would have eradicated breast cancer.”