ICanServe Foundation joined healthcare professionals, patient groups, government representatives, and other cancer community advocates and stakeholders at the sixth Philippine National Cancer Summit (PNCS) held at Novotel Araneta City in Quezon City from February 27 to 28, 2025.
Organized by the Philippine College of Surgeons Cancer Commission Foundation (PCS-CanCom) the two-day conference carried the theme “Stronger Philippines: Building a Resilient Cancer Care Ecosystem.” ICanServe member and Project Pink founder Melissa de Leon-Joseph opened the summit with her inspiring story of surviving breast cancer.
Led by its founding president Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, who also serves as a director of PCS-CanCom, ICanServe chaired three sessions at PNCS 2025.
In “Lancet Oncology: Trends in Early Onset Breast Cancer in Southeast Asia Report,” Dr. Frances Ho from the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, Dr. Edward Dee of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), and Dr. Jenny Chen from MSKCC, presented their study that was published in Lancet Oncology, the leading peer-reviewed journal on clinical oncology. Alikpala is also a co-author of the study.
The report tackles the rising incidence and mortality of breast cancer in premenopausal adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients aged 15 to 39 in the region.
The presentation was followed by a discussion on how to tackle this public health challenge, with panelists Carmen Auste from the National Integrated Cancer Control Council; advertising executive Don Sevilla, executive creative director of WOO; and Giselle Arroyo from ICanServe. Mimi Andaya-Martin of ICanServe served as host and moderator.
Also on the first day, ICanServe organized the session entitled “THINK PINK: United for Better Access and Outcomes for Patients A Forum on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Access Solutions.” The panel discussion, about what can be done to ensure that patients have access to treatment immediately, featured Dr. Madeleine Valera, president of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Philippines; Dr. Minerva Calimag, chair of the Subcommittee for Medical and Surgical Procedures, HTA–DOST; Dr. Soledad Balete, head, Section of Medical Oncology, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC); and Karen Villanueva, president of the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO).
On Day 2 of PNCS, ICanServe chaired “From Heart to Hand: The Importance of Communication Skills for Barangay Health Workers.” Hosted by TV and radio personality Love Añover, the session featured presentations by Buenalyn Teresita Ramos-Mortel and Esmeralda Silva-Javier, public health experts from the University of the Philippines. Lending their expertise in the panel discussion that followed were Dr. Cecile Montales, executive assistant for Health of Taguig City, and former DOH secretary and Health Future Foundation chairman. Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan.
A video on the female experience of growing up and growing old with breasts was previewed at PNCS. Created in partnership with WOO, it was published on the ICANSERVE YouTube Channel on March 8, International Women’s Day. View the video called ICS “Twins” here.
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- Volunteers at the ICANSERVE booth (from left): Olen, Quenee, Teocel and ICanServe chair Crisann
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- Panel discussion on rising incidence and mortality of breast cancer in premenopausal women
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- ICANSERVE founding president Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala
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- Panel discussion on how to improve patient access to treatment
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- PNCS participants unite: ‘Ating Dibdibin’
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- Panel discussion on the importance of communication skills for barangay health workers
