Cancer afflicts many Pinoy patients in HK hospitals

CANCER in the reproductive system is the top cancer among Filipinos in Hong Kong, said Vice Consul Fatima Guzman- Quintin.

Guzman-Quintin, head of the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) section, said three cases of cancer-related deaths were recorded recently.

“Usually ang cancer diseases ng ating workers dito sa reproductive organs at sa breast. Iyong recently, they were in their 40s to 50s at matagal na silang workers dito,” she said.

Welfare Officer Judith Santos said that on average, around 21 percent of Filipinos hospitalized in Hong Kong have cancer.

As of May 25, there were 67 Filipinos being treated in the city’s hospitals.

Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr., ATN officer, said many of Filipinos undergoing treatment for cancer in Hong Kong get healed.

“Ang cancer patients natin, kadalasan nagagamot. Mas gusto pa nila na mag-stay dito at nakikiusap sila para magpagamot pa.

“Pagkatapos ng gamutan, saka sila umuuwi sa Pilipinas,” Cayabyab said.

On May 22, physician Romeo Orteza held a talk about “breast and ovarian cancer facts” at the Philippine Consulate General.

Orteza has a clinic at St. Luke’s Medical Center at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Guzman-Quintin said the talk, which had 30 attendees, was “very timely”.

According to the Cancer Fund, the 10 most common cancers in Hong Kong include colorecturm cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, non-melanoma cancer, corpus uteri cancer, non-hodgkin lymphoma cancer, and nasopharynx cancer.