MANILA, Philippines — A cancer expert has bared a more practical method to treat cancer as it will be able to accommodate more patients at a time.
Dr. Kenneth Samala, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Medical Oncology fellow, said that this new technology involves medication through injection.
“It is similar to a vaccine that is being injected to a patient. The preparation will take some five to 10 minutes so that, in an hour, you can take in five to six patients already,” said Samala at a recent media forum held in Manila.
“The usual IV or intravenous form of treatment can accommodate only two patients in an hour. In a business perspective, I can have more patients treated through injection,” he added.
Further, Samala explained, “They are both the same medication, though the preparations are different. The IV would refer to the typical chemotherapy that is executed through a flexible tube placed inside a vein, usually in the hand or arm.”
According to the oncologist, the injection at face value is more expensive. But when factoring in consumables through IV method – the dextrose, supplies and manpower used – more time is consumed treating less patients, he added.
Samala likewise said that with the newer medication, the side effects are minimal.
“(The) majority before in chemotherapy, they experience vomiting, nausea, hair loss and fatigue. But what I noticed is that when I give targeted therapy, there is no hair loss anymore and there is just a bit of nausea, but not as much. If there is any side effect, common is pain in the injection site. Definitely, quality of life is a lot better,” he pointed out.
It is in this light that the cancer specialist urged the Department of Health (DOH) to hasten the approval of new cancer treatments for their inclusion in the Philippine National Drug Formulary (PNDF).
“The process is that before the medicine can be purchased or before the DOH can include it in the program, these new medicines should be part of the formulary already,” he said.
Samala added, “We have applied several medicines to be included in the formulary, but nothing happened. So, this is one roadblock that we are experiencing. We are hoping that the process of formulary inclusion will be fast-tracked.”
According to the cancer expert, once the medicines are included in the formulary, “it is already mandated and nothing can stop the DOH from acquiring these drug products.”
“That is very important. More than the structures or buildings, very important also is the access or the formulary inclusion of new medicines,” said Samala.