Epilepsy Exemplars Seize the Day, Mark Awareness Week
For thousand of years, people believed that those who suffered from seizures were seized by the devil.
That's not true, of course. A lot of us--but not everyone--know now that seizures are a result of a sudden, usually brief, excessive electrical discharge in a group of brain cells. These seizures can be managed by medication--and a positive attitude, some say.
Most of those who have epilepsy, or the tendency to recurrent seizures, lead normal and productive lives. They hold jobs, go to school, get married and have children, and do anything everyone else does. But because not everyone knows what epilepsy is, they continue to be misunderstood, even persecuted, by some.
Rose Marie Espina, a sanitation inspector for the Department of Health in Iloilo, continues to encounter difficulties at home and work because of misconceptions about epilepsy. She has been called "buang" and "luko-luko" to her face by officemates and barangay folks she gives health education to.
"Being an epileptic without the support of the family is very disappointing," she recounted how, years before, her family was just as superstitious. Yet, she persevered despite the taunts and now heads a lay support group in Iloilo for persons with epilepsy and their caregivers.
Espina was among six adults and children with epilepsy who were hailed as Epilepsy Exemplars by the Philippine League Against Epilepsy (PLAE) on September 6. Epilepsy Exemplars are those who exhibit good seizure control, comply to medical treatment, and show positive attitudes toward their condition such as optimism, self-determination, and independence that allow them normal lives and to do well academically or professionally.
All of them have triumphed over epilepsy and its social consequences.
Albert Apilado, a registered nurse teaching at the Western Visayas State University College of Nursing, went through denial, anger, and depression when suffering from seizures. But when he learned to accept and be open about his condition, he said the frequency of his seizures lessened. Now, one of his missions is to teach people about epilepsy. "Had I not accepted that I am an epileptic, for sure, my life until today would have been empty and with no proper direction," he revealed.
For doctor of veterinary medicine Wilfredo Coloma, having epilepsy yet being able to provide for his family and be a productive citizen is inspiring. "There is life after epilepsy," he pointed out.
Baldwin Kho, a visual artist who holds art workshops for kids and has produced several solo art exhibits, said he never believed having epilepsy is a disadvantage. It encourages him to share his talents, especially with children with epilepsy and autism.
Twelve-year-old Mitchelle Carla Cunanan is a consistent honor student. She dreams of becoming like her pedianeuro-logist, who helps other children with epilepsy enjoy a good life.
Laurine Lynn Kwe, now in first year college, urged: "Let us resolve that no seizure would ever interrupt us in our ambitions. Instead, let us seize the day."
The six Epilepsy Exemplars will take an active role in educating the public, eradicating the stigma of epilepsy, and defending the rights of others who have epilepsy.
Explained PLAE president Leonor Cabral-Lim: "Lack of awareness and understanding about epilepsy leads to misconception, social stigma, and hinders access to effective treatment."
PLAE did "Seize the Day," when it commemorated the third National Epilepsy Awareness Week on September 6 to 12.
PLAE, committed to improve the quality of life of persons with epilepsy through education, research, prevention of seizures, advocacy, and delivery of optimal care, held lay forums, where the rights of those with epilepsy were discussed, and epilepsy specialists' workshops all over the country.
That week, PLAE also launched BRIDGES (Bridging Referrals to Improve Delivery of Grassroots Epilepsy Services). This project aims to establish an efficient referral system, with which problematic cases among epilepsy patients seen by rural health physicians can have access to neurologists and epilepsy specialists.
The celebration culminated in a fund-raising walkathon at the Quirino Grandstand. Proceeds will be used to start a drug bank for persons with epilepsy.
Michelle Ciriacruz
DSP Raises the Stakes in Fight against Dementia
The Dementia Society of the Philippines (DSP) held the second conference on Alzheimer disease and related disorders on September 9 and 10 at the Holiday Inn Galleria in Pasig City.
Carrying the theme, Moving Ahead 2, the event was able to gather together four organizations committed to the fight against dementias and related illnesses: the Stroke Society of the Philippines (SSP), Philippine Neurological Association (PNA), Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA), and Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM).
Dr. Simeon Marasigan, president of DSP, envisioned the enhancement of the quality of life of all people living with dementia and their families. The DSP, with its aim to uphold the dignity of people with dementias, works toward strengthening the viability and quality of the core services for patients and their families. Since there is as yet no cure for the disease, the focus remains on research and on increasing need for understanding, support, and high quality care for people living with dementia.
Dr. Joven Cuanang, SSP president, highlighted the need "to ensure quality of life of the elderly and address common concerns." Dr. Raymond Rosales, PNA secretary, expressed the PNA's strong support to the fight against Alzheimer disease. "No one's memory will be stolen again," he remarked. Dr. Isaias Alipio, PARM president, also verbalized his organization's undivided support and assistance. Dr. Imelda Martin, PPA president, called attention to the need to decrease morbidity and mortality in dementia.
The first day of the conference featured a lecture by Dr. Rachelle Doody on the need for recognizing and managing the earliest stage of AD. "Even if we never learn to prevent or cure AD, we will manage it effectively," she said. "Having trouble with names is normal, forgetting is not," she added.
On the second day, sessions were divided between geriatricians and PARM ("Geriatrics and Physiatrics") and the PPA and neuropsychologists ("Sa Hirap at Ginhawa"). These two sessions emphasized the society's overall goal of providing holistic care to dementia patients, with special focus on educating not just patients but the public as well. This way, the services given to patients and families--both in the community and in the institutional setting--will see significant improvement.
There are at least half a million Filipinos who suffer directly from problems associated with the condition.
Amzel Ordoñez
Venereologists Target Emerging and Reemerging STIS
Seeking to raise the standards of health care for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the Philippine Society of Venereologists Inc. (PSVI) trained its focus on
STIs in Reproductive Health and Sexuality during its sixth biennial convention held September 9 and 10 at the Century Park Hotel.
Emphasizing the PSVI's commitment to adapt the fight against STIs to the changing times, Dr. Norma Abejar, PSVI president, called attention to "emerging and reemerging" STIs.
Dr. Bu Castro, president of the Philippine Medical Association, keynoted the event. He focused on the need to expose the Filipino's medical expertise to the rest of the world. He said: "We have our own culture and we have to expose that kind of culture to the world."
But Castro lamented that over 10,000 nurses and at least 2,000 doctors leave the country every year to work abroad. He predicted that in four to five years, the country will "have 50-percent less health providers in the country." He asked: "How are we going to offer these services when everyone is leaving the country?"
Appealing to the forgotten Filipino patriotism and nationalism, Castro exhorted the audience: "We have to do something either to prevent those leaving in terms of giving or offering them higher compensation, which is the number-one problem, or attracting more clients, more customers, and therefore more income."
The two-day event tackled issues on sexual promiscuity of single and married individuals as well as the controversial topic of same-sex marriage.
Dr. Marcellano Cruz, medical specialist at the East Avenue Medical Center, spoke on cutaneous manifestations of HIV infections and HIV-related disorders.
Cruz said: "Despite the availability of effective antibiotics against most relevant pathogens, sexually transmitted infections are still a problem. Over the last 20 years, the number of recognized pathogens causing STIs has grown to over 20. Implicated pathogens now include bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and ectoparasites. The emergence of new pathogens, clinical syndromes, and complications has increased. Difficulty in diagnosing and treating STIs is a task also complicated by changing sexual morality. Therefore, early diagnosis is vital since in many instances the potentially serious consequences of STIs can be limited through prompt detection and treatment."
Mariafe Pagsuguiron
PASOO Issues "Globesity Alert"
Amid all the talk these days about terrorists and bomb threats, the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PASOO) sounded the alarm on another terror that has been stealthily creeping up all over the world-obesity. The society titled its 10th annual convention
Terror Alert: Obesity. The event was held at the Westin Philippine Plaza from September 17 to 18.
"Because nowadays nothing can be more apt than to sound the alarm about this terror in our midst," said Dr. Augusto Litonjua, PASOO president. "Obesity is a terror--for it fans other chronic and debilitating diseases, like diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and pulmonary disorders."
He added: "It is estimated that seven percent of the world's adult population are either overweight or obese. And the alarming fact is that the epidemic is creeping down to our children, in whom we now see more type 2 diabetes mellitus cases. Factors in the environment have been identified. What is now a harder job is to have these factors neutralized."
Dr. Sioksoan Chan-Cua, chair of the scientific committee, added: "Globesity is taking over many parts of the world. If immediate action is not taken, millions will suffer from an array of health disorders."
The foreign speakers at the event were Prof. Ian Caterson of the Human Nutrition Unit and Center for Overweight and Obesity, University of Sydney, Australia, who spoke on the efficacy of modern treatments against obesity; Dr. John Foreyt of the Baylor College of Medicine, who spoke on the psychological strategies to weight management. "Comprehensive obesity treatment programs include behavioral-change strategies such as self-monitoring, stimulus control, problem solving, and cognitive restructuring in helping obese individuals achieve moderate weight losses," he said.
Ms. Sanirose Orbeta, PASOO vice president, said that eating correctly, exercising, and behavior modification are the safest approaches of a scientific weight loss program, "but the hardest to do. Most people want to see quick results. They may turn to drug or medical management in hope that this will deliver painless results without the discipline and hardship that go with dieting."
Dr. Gerry Tan added: "pharmacotherapy appears to be the key to effective antiobesity therapy. Drugs have the ability for inducing weight loss in refractory obesity when classical techniques have failed." He also pointed out that "history has shown that with the exception of vaccination and asepsia, no fundamental progress has been possible in medicine without the use of medicine."
Mariafe Pagsuguiron
Allergologists Empower GPs
Since its inception, the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology's (PSAAI) primary objective has been to raise awareness of allergic and immunologic conditions. It has conducted lectures, both for lay and medical audiences, all over the country. This year, the PSAAI held its ninth biennial convention at the Westin Philippine Plaza on September 13 and 14.
Dr. Hiyasmin Lim, overall convention chair and PSAAI president-elect, said: "Allergy and immunology crosses all realms of medicine. Because of this, an increasing prevalence of allergic diseases, we decided on the theme
Allergy and Immunology in General Practice. We hope to empower the general practitioners and subspecialists in the basic management of allergic diseases."
Dr. Madeleine Sumpaico, current PSAAI president, stated: "The subspecialty of allergy and immunology has undergone a tremendous development in recent years. Today researches are being conducted on a molecular level. This has resulted in a better understanding of the mechanisms behind allergic and immunological diseases in which, in turn, has led to the discoveries of novel and promising drugs. The challenge however is to translate these developments into relevant clinical practice."
Dr. Hiyasmin Lim added: "With the growing prevalence of atopic diseases, it is timely that our convention focus on its relevance in general practice."
The PSAAI is a recognized active member of the World Allergy Organization (formerly International Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology) and Asia-Pacific Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology. The society is also a recognized subspecialty society by the Philippine Medical Association, the Philippine College of Physicians and recently, the Philippine Pediatric Society.
Three training centers have already been established by the PSAAI: University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, and the Dr. Fe Del Mundo Medical Center.
Mariafe Pagsuguiron
Blood Experts Aim High for 2007
The Philippine Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (PSHBT) has this vision for 2007: a hematologist for every 50,000 Pinoys; adequate number of accredited training institutions for hematology; eradication of common preventable hematologic conditions like nutritional anemia; and elevation of hematology in the Philippines--in terms of patient care and research--to the same level as that in other ASEAN countries.
Working toward making this vision a reality, PSHBT adopted the approach,
Hematology: Academe to Bedside in its 34th annual convention held September 8 to 10.
Convention chair Dr. Alendry Caviles said that the scientific program was designed to enable not just hematologists but also all caregivers to give their patients the best diagnostic and pharmacologic management for blood diseases, with equal concern given to patients' emotional and spiritual well-being.
The first day offered clinicians and technologists recent developments in hematologic diagnosis and blood-banking procedures. The next two days were devoted to apheresis (a procedure in which the patient is transfused with his or her own blood from which certain elements, like plasma and platelets, have been removed), bone-marrow transplant, and leukemia.
PSHBT pioneering officer Luz Gamez--president of the society from 1976 to 1979--keynoted the event. She was instrumental in PSHBT's membership to the International Federation of Hemophilia.
PSHBT was founded 44 years ago. At present it has 122 members, composed mostly of adult and pediatric hematologists and blood bankers. PSHBT members are actively involved in developing and upgrading coagulation procedures, immunohematologic techniques, and cytogenetics in the country.
Dr. Priscilla Caguioa is the president while Drs. Sonia Narcissa Comia, Allan Robert Racho, and Ma. Angelina Mirasol are the vice president, treasurer, and secretary. The board of regents is composed of Drs. Jose Antonio Quiteves, Ernesto Yuson, Roselina Anastacio, Ernesto Yuson, and Ernesto delos Reyes.
Michelle Ciriacruz
Adolescent Medicine Group Raises "Red Flag"
Schools often teach students to "Just Say No" to drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, and others. But the Society of Adolescent Medicine of the Philippines Inc. (SAMPI) knows that saying no is not easy for teenagers to do. That is why
Red Flags in Adolescent Health: Recognizing and Assessing Risky Behaviors among Adolescents was the theme SAMPI chose for its third biennial convention held at the Century Park Hotel on September 29 and 30.
Founding SAMPI president Dr. Alicia Tamesis, together with current president Dr. Rosa Maria Nancho and guest speaker Dr. Donald Greydanus, officially opened the convention with the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon. Dr. Jean-Marc Olivé, World Health Organization representative to the Philippines, keynoted the event, taking special note of the status of Filipino adolescents and what the WHO is doing for the promotion of adolescent health.
Dr. Jocelyn Quidlat, convention program director, said that the three main goals of the event were to "enable health givers to recognize the warning signs that point to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse; to learn the approach to school problems and various issues on adolescent sexuality; and lastly, to learn what interventions work."
Tamesis said that the event gave SAMPI members a chance to examine "to what extent we are addressing the needs of the adolescent." She noted that "through values education, home-school collaboration, increased dedication to serve the youth and harnessing their talents, we can make a difference in the lives of our youth."
Among the topics discussed were mental-health issues, substance abuse among Pinoy youth, school-health issues, and adolescent sexuality.
Psychiatrist Antonio Sison spoke on meeting the medical and psychosocial needs of the gay and lesbian youth. He complained of the "very scanty research" on the gay and lesbian youth and that most of the information that he obtained were from cross-sectional surveys. He added: "When it comes to nation building, we have to include all sectors of society regardless of their sexual orientation and perception and, you know what, when it comes to nation building we probably should start with ourselves."
Nancho said of the convention: "I think it went very well because we were able to stimulate the audience to be more conscious about the adolescent health situation in the Philippines." She added that SAMPI is currently working on developing modules "training adolescents on adolescent sexuality and how to respect their bodies."
Mariafe Pagsuguiron
ADHD Awareness Week Focuses on Treatment, Education
In line with the celebration of the third week of October as National Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Week, the ADHD Society of the Philippines organized the second national conference on ADHD with the theme
ADHD: Focusing on Medical and Educational Issues. Organized in cooperation with the Bahay ni Angelo King Foundation, Rockwell Land, and the Powerplant Mall, the conference was held on October 21-23 at The Tent Plaza Car Park, Powerplant Mall in Makati.
The program aimed to demonstrate how different disciplines such as developmental pediatrics, special education, psychology, occupational therapy, educational therapy, and other fields can work together to insure that an individual with ADHD is spared from a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain.
Marfina Teodoro, ADHD Society of the Philippines president, said: "God is in command of every situation and we are only instruments for the success of this convention. Through education, programs, techniques, and experience we can respond to ADHD and widen our opportunities."
She also said that the society's concern is to be a compassionate and responsive parent-based organization that makes support mechanisms for persons with ADHD are accessible to ensure the full attainment of their potential.
Meanwhile, Dr. Perla Santos Ocampo, Philippine Society for Development and Behavioral Pediatrics president, stressed the importance of teamwork. "We are teammates in a common goal to help children reach optimum development," she told parents and caregivers, stressing the need for them to be empowered and confident. "You are your child's care manager," she said. "The success of the intervention does not hinge on medication or the physicians, but on the collaboration and commitment between you and your child."
An impressive roster of foreign and local resource lecturers displayed expertise in various fields related to ADHD management and care. One of these was Dr. Harlan Gephart, former medical director of the Center for Attentional Deficit Disorders in Redmond, Washington, who spoke about the latest breakthroughs in ADHD management. He said: "Virtually all children with ADHD suffer from low self-esteem and if we let an ADHD child go untreated, we may well be handling that child a life sentence of academic and social failure." He also conducted a parent workshop on "How to Develop a Behavioral Treatment" with Sandy Malone-Long, a school counselor and psychologist from the United States. Award-winning educator, author, ad lecturer Sandra Rief discussed strategies in helping children diagnosed with ADHD succeed in school, behavioral management, support, and interventions.
Amzel Ordoñez
Talks on Stroke High on Oxygen, Clipping, and Coiling
Neurosurgeons from Japan shared their know-ledge and experience with the Stroke Society of the Philippines (SSP) on how to fix bleeding and aneurysm in the brain.
In SSP's fifth annual convention on August 19 to 21 in Tagaytay, Drs. Tetsuo Kanno and Yoko Kato talked about recent developments in treating hypertensive brain hemorrhage (ICH) and unruptured aneurysm.
Kanno chairs the neuro-surgery department at Fujita Health University in Japan. He described how the symptoms--intracranial pressure, cerebral blood flow, and acidosis--of some patients with brain hemorrhage improved or lessened following hyperbaric oxygen (HbO) treatment. He explained that this response has proved to be a good indicator of who among the patients would be good candidates for surgery.
"Patients who show clinical improvement with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and undergo surgery show a significantly improved outcome [compared with a control group]," he reported.
He reminded, however, that HbO does not offer a permanent treatment for hypertensive IC. He stressed that its effects last no longer than 24 hours. "Any clinical improvement returns to the pretreatment level the following morning," he explained.
Kato's talk focused on clipping versus coiling in the treatment of unruptured aneurysms. Her presentation included videos of operations using either procedure and concluded with the advantages and limitations of each.
She explained that endovascular coiling could be used more effectively to treat large aneurysms with narrow necks, which project outward the vessel wall. It is less invasive than clipping, but in conditions where the size of the aneurysm is too small, neck is too wide, or wall is too thin, clipping is better, "resulting in good outcome with less complication[s]."
Kato represents the small number of female neurosurgeons in Japan--only three percent of about 7,000 neurosurgeons. She is a medical staff at Fujita Health University and a member of the Women's Neurosurgical Association of Japan.
Meanwhile, stroke experts, rehabilitation-medicine specialists, and imaging specialists also presented their findings during the SSP convention.
They offered workshops and lectures on
Emerging Diagnostic Modalities and Therapeutic Interventions in Brain Attack to help colleagues as well as general practitioners, nurses, and caregivers enrich their knowledge and skills on diagnosing and treating brain attacks.
Michelle Ciriacruz
PHILSPEN Spearheads Nutrition-Support Advocacy
The Philippine Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (PHILSPEN) held its national convention on September 21 and 22.
The two-day meet served as a venue to unify national efforts in raising the standards of care in nutritional support, whether enteral or parenteral, as provided by physicians, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, and dietitians.
Said PHILSPEN president Jonathan Asprer: "Think of a malnourished child in Africa or in Afghanistan, or maybe even in Iraq, and imagine [their] bloated belly, the skin and bones. It is easy to imagine why malnutrition is a primary concern in health care. It's probably even easier to realize that hospitalized patients don't look quite as pitiful, but are actually in bad shape like children in those war-torn and strife-torn areas."
Adelisa Zifra-Ramos of the Bureau of Food and Drugs keynoted the event on behalf of Health secretary Manuel Dayrit. She said that the event was "a historical milestone on a very relevant theme that will expound on issues and updates on nutritional support."
She noted that 60 percent of patients admitted to specialty hospitals in the country are malnourished, compared with 24 to 40 percent in other countries.
She said that worldwide, nutrition support is recognized as part of the overall care plan to improve the nutritional status of sick people.
The DOH, the National Center for Health Facilities Development, Bureau of Health Facilities and Services, and PHILSPEN, hope to strengthen linkages between the government and private hospitals to improve the nutritional status not only of hospital patients but also those in home care. Also, the group aims to continuously educate health professionals about the importance of nutritional support, and encourage manufacturers and distributors of enteral and parenteral products to make their products more affordable.
Said Ramos: "Every beginning is not without a challenge. We should be ready to experience hardships, most especially when we consider that government-run institutions operate on a very meager resources particularly manpower."
Among the topics discussed at the meeting were the rise of obesity and associated conditions, multidisciplinary approach to nutrition support, and nutritional approaches to patients with varying needs (obstetric, surgery, and cancer patients, among others).
Miles Dumalagan
Cosmetic Dermatology Goes Global
The Philippine Academy of Clinical and Cosmetic Dermatology (PACCD) celebrated its anniversary and held its first annual convention at the Westin Philippine Plaza on October 1 to 3. With the theme Global Dermatology 2004 PACCD took its first step in realizing its mission of making dermatology training readily accessible to qualified doctors who wish to pursue specialization in this field.
Dr. Vinson Pineda, PACCD president, said the organization is "focused on educating the public that dermatologists are the most qualified to diagnose and treat diseases of the skin, hair, and nail." He added: "The challenge before us is great and was underscored by a survey that found that too many people still do not fully understand what a dermatologist treats."
Meanwhile, PACCD immediate past president Dr. Lakandula Elayda commented that the "formation of PACCD as an emerging force in the field of specialization is a milestone in itself. It is the realization of a long-cherished dream of every member to be organized and be recognized on the basis of their expertise."
The first day focused on a series of workshops on Botox, Restylane, and mesotherapy.
Dr. Renato Oracion, a consultant at St. Matthew Dermatology Clinic, spoke about immunopathogenesis and treatment of atopic dermatitis with topical immunomodulators. He said: "Topical corticosteriods have been the mainstay of therapy for atopic dermatitis. However, long-term use of these medications can lead to skin atrophy and undesirable systemic effects."
Dr. Nanneth Tiu, a consultant in allergy/clinical immunology at the Chinese General Hospital, also spoke about atopic dermatitis. She said that it is "very important to understand that allergy is a chronic problem that can interfere with the 'quality of life' and that early intervention of one allergic disease can prevent the development of another allergy that might involve them in having to see a lot of specialists. This type of patient usually ends up in a world of 'polypharmacy' and this is what we want to prevent--the so-called 'atopic march.'"
Mariafe Pagsuguiron
PCS Runs to Fight Cancer
The Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) met at the Manila Polo Club on June 29 to recruit team captains as well as volunteers for its a
Relay for Life cancer-awareness campaign. In a video presentation the PCS explained the meaning of the event.
Considering that four Filipinos die of cancer per hour, the PCS is committed to advance knowledge about cancer, combat its spread, and bring relief to those afflicted with it through education and information, services, advocacy, and research.
"It is not only a worthy cause, it is also a cause that all of us should be aware of," said Johnny Litton, a late-night-talk-show host who lost a sister and a cousin to cancer and has a son recently diagnosed with the disease. He served as master of ceremonies for the event.
Ms. Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, broadcast journalist and cancer survivor, spoke of her own battle. "They said radiation, which I needed, would affect my left lung and my heart later in life," she said, remembering the time when a lump in her armpit had been discovered. "The doctors told me that I might not have children after chemotherapy. I was single at the time and engaged to be married." For the people who had no idea that she had cancer she wanted to go around wearing a sign that said: "Sorry, pardon the appearance, I'm on chemotherapy."
The brains behind the award-winning documentary
Batas Militar, she said: "[The success of the documentary] didn't mean as much to me. My definition of success had changed by then," because "I think there is a higher purpose now."
Cancer has brought her two sacraments in life--"the sacrament of baptism and matrimony." In March 1998 she marched down the aisle with "my best friend," and two years later, despite what the doctors said, she got pregnant.
She has set up a foundation for information on breast cancer and other services called "I CAN SERVE." They network with as many breast-cancer victims, collecting their stories and sharing their own "to help them navigate their way to recovery and letting them know that they are not alone in their journey."
Relay for Life is a unique fundraising and cancer-aware-ness campaign where teams of eight to 15 people raise money for the PCS cancer programs through different activities. Then at a culminating event, all teams will join together in one big overnight campout.
Ms. Dittas Formoso, a PCS volunteer, explained that the
Relay for Life was "really all about hope." Mariafe Pagsuguiron
"Exciting Times" to be a Hypertension Specialist
The unending battle with hypertension is a major concern for health-care professionals and their patients.
This is especially true to the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), who in its desire to strengthen the army of hypertension-fighters, held on October 10 to 14 the second specialist course for the clinical practice of hypertension.
The five-day course held at the Philippine Heart Center gathered medical professionals of every kind--general practitioners, family physicians, nephrologists, cardiologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, and others--who are all determined to help lower the prevalence of hypertension, as well as other problems that hypertension brings.
"These are exciting times for the Philippine Society of Hypertension," said Dr. Esperanza Icasas-Cabral, PSH president.
"Once again, it is our mission to prevent and control hypertension in the Philippines and this program has made a lot of miracles in meeting our mission at the same time working with other health-care providers in enlivening our delegation every day," she stressed.
She concluded with these words of encouragement: "Become a member of the PSH and join the other physicians and scientists in reaping the benefits of networking with peers in the areas of hypertension and related disciplines."
The course featured a review of clinical knowledge on hypertension and related disorders as well as the latest breakthroughs in the field. With its multi-disciplinary approach to hypertension education, the PSH put together a comprehensive program, with the country's preeminent hypertension specialists at the helm.
Attendees were expected to acquire or improve their under-standing of the fundamentals--the pathophysiology, genetics, assessment, and treatment of hypertension.
The participants were also informed about the advances in pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapy, as well as the barriers to optimal treatment and methods to improve treatment.
Effective approaches to secondary hypertension, resistant hypertension, and hypertensive urgencies and emergencies were also given special attention, and so were the implications of clinical trials.
The specialist course was sequenced well, summing up to a total of 48 hours of pure learning.
Amzel Ordoñez
Oncologists Target Targeted Therapies
At the 18th annual convention of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO) October 6 to 8, experts took up the need to
Reach New Heights in cancer research and therapy. Discussions focused on targeted therapies--the mechanisms by which they work, and their role in treatment.
Dr. Federico Cappuzzo, breast-and-lung-cancer specialist at Italy's Bellaria Hospital, spoke about innovative strategies in lung-cancer management. He called the disease "the most frustrating disease for an oncologist." He said: "[In] the last 30 years, although several agents have been made [for] the treatment of this disease, the median survival of patients remains eight to nine months."
Dr. Nick Pavlakis of the Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital, gave updates on pemetrexed (Alimta), a novel multitargeted antifolate cytotoxic agent that has demonstrated a promising activity against mesothelioma in phase I and II studies. A phase III study also showed that it had comparable efficacy to and a more favorable toxicity profile than docetaxel as second-line treatment for nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Pavlakis said that Alimta is now under evaluation for use in first-line setting.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca celebrated the first anniversary of gefitinib (Iressa). Gefitinib, a first in a new class of anticancer drugs known as epidermal-growth-factor receptor tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (EFGR-TKIs), offers big hopes to lung-cancer patients, especially to NSCLC patients. NSCLC accounts for 80 percent of all lung-cancer cases. Data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in June showed the one-year survival rate in patients treated with gefitinib on a compassionate basis at 30 percent. Several other trials (particularly IDEAL 1 and 2) have also shown the efficacy of gefitinib in NSCLC treatment.
Cappuzzo said that compared with docetaxel, which for a long time was the only approved drug for the second-line treatment of NSCLC, gefitinib yielded results that were virtually similar. He said: "We obtained almost the same median survival and the median survival is also better…indicating that this drug is an effective drug in patients heavily pretreated."
Miles Dumalagan
PHA, Makati Celebrate World Heart Day
Makati City, supported by the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), played host to the national commemoration of World Heart Day on September 26, with the theme
Children, Adolescents, and Heart Disease.
The PHA also expressed its active support to the city's aggressive antismoking campaign and its other healthy-lifestyle-advocacy programs.
On September 22, the city and the PHA hosted a forum on the role of therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) in fighting cardiovascular disease (CVD) at the Makati City Hall. The forum stressed the importance of inculcating "TLC" in the young to make them health conscious as early as possible.
Marlo Mendoza, program director of Bantay Kalikasan, spoke about shielding young hearts from abuses and unhealthy environs, while Mayor Jejomar Binay, represented by city administrator Nicanor Santiago Jr., stressed the importance of balancing prosperity with the environ's integrity.
Philippine Society of Pediatric Cardiology president Rhodora Garcia-de Leon warned about the serious threat of CVD to the young, while Dr. Edison Ty, chair of the PHA council on rheumatic fever-rheumatic heart disease, showed proof that a chubby kid is neither cute nor healthy.
On September 26, the PHA hosted the
Heart Fair at the Tower One Exchange Plaza, Ayala Avenue. Present were Santiago, WHO representative to the country Jean-Marc Olivé, health undersecretary Antonio Lopez, PHA members, and World Heart Federation (WHF) executives. There were also students from various schools in Makati garbed in athletic gear. Pharmaceutical firms set up booths offering free risk-factor screening.
PHA president Norbert Lingling Uy said 10 million Filipinos have high blood pressure based on a 1998 survey. But he noted: "Thirteen percent
lang sa kanila ang nakakaalam na sila ay may high blood, 50 percent
ang tumatanggap ng gamot ng tama, at 50 percent doon sa mga tumatanggap ng gamot ay kontrolado ang BP."
Dr. Christina Dablo of the DOH Healthy Lifestyle program discussed the impact of RA 8980, which established the National System for Early Childhood Care and Development.
The PHA led the Mag-Healthy Lifestyle Coalition, which spearheaded the 2004 commemoration of World Heart Day. Also part of the coalition were the DOH, Heart Foundation of the Philippines, WHO, WHF, and 19 other members.
Miles Dumalagan
Vehicular Crashes Preventable, Predictable
Trauma: The Real-Life Serial Killer was the focus of a health forum organized by the Philippine College of Physicians and Mirror magazine on October 5 at Annabel's Restaurant, Quezon City.
Said Dr. Maximo Simbulan Jr., trustee of the Philippine College of Surgeons (PCS) Foundation: "Trauma is one of the most common causes of death and morbidity in our country, and yet so many policies and guidelines are not really in tune to this endeavor especially the medical field."
Dr. Orlando Ocampo, a professor of surgery at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, said: "We should shy away from using the word 'accident.' From now on, instead of saying vehicular accident, can we say please say vehicular crash or motorcycle crash… because injuries, they are not accidents. They are very predictable and preventable." Dr. Eric Talens, Trauma Division chief of the Philippine General Hospital, confirmed this, saying that trauma is the number-one killer of Filipinos between 20 and 40 years old. However, Ocampo said that no national registry on trauma exists, so "we don't have a database yet whether to say jeepney, car, or any other kind of vehicle is the number one, or what are the top 10 causes of trauma."
Ocampo stressed that half of trauma deaths "happen at the scene"; 30 percent happen upon reaching the hospital; and 20 percent after surgery, "because of the complications." He added that with the help of the Department of Health, "we can put up a database to know the number-one cause of injury in the Philippines."
Fortunately, a national registry is already in the works. To be launched in December, results are expected to come out after two to three years. Said Talens: "This will be web-based. Unfortunately, the media will not be able to access it as automatically as any other web site. The data will be synthesized first before [they get] released."
Meanwhile, the PCS and the National Red Cross are conducting basic life-support workshops for lay people starting November, to help them learn how to handle trauma victims and how to safely transport them to the hospital. An advanced life-support (ALS) workshop for doctors is also being organized.
Other PCS activities concerned with trauma are the evaluation of the capability of hospitals to handle trauma cases and injury-prevention-advocacy projects with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas and the Department of Education.
"If we want to make an impact on injuries, we should focus on injury prevention," concluded Ocampo.
Miles Dumalagan
Banat-Buto for Bone and Joint Health
For the past five years the Philippine Council for the Bone and Joint Decade (2000-2010) has continue to stand behind its desire to see both young and old Filipinos free of any musculoskeletal problems. This crusade received a much-needed boost in July, when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation number 658, which declares the third week of October as the Bone and Joint Awareness Week.
And so on October 17 the Council launched the Bone and Joint Awareness Week at the Fort Bonifacio Global City. Carrying the theme,
Nagbanat Buto KNB?, the project was done in cooperation with the Philippine Rheumatology Association, the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Osteoporosis Society of the Philippines, and the Philippine Orthopaedic Association.
"The purpose of this awareness week is to impart vital knowledge to prevent the increase in incidence rate on bone and joint problems," said Council chair Dr. Bee Giok Tan-Sales.
Health secretary Manuel Dayrit keynoted the event, saying that health and wellness are "not only spiritual, social, or emotional, but even…muscuoskeletal." He said that there are ways to prevent these bone and joint problems, one of them being regular exercise. He added that it shouldn't only be the doctors who pay attention to diseases of the bones and the joints, but every Filipino.
Also present at the launch was Dr. Rolando Paac, city health officer of Taguig. He took pride in the health activities that the city promotes and the city's 18 barangays actively participate in. These include exercise programs conducted at Fort Bonifacio every Saturday and Sunday morning.
The Council also conducted free screening for scoliosis and osteoporosis, blood-pressure measurements, and identification of foot problems. A number of posters were also put up at the central plaza of the newly opened Market! Market!, giving practical information on exercise, posture, and problems of the bones and joints.
For the rest of the week there were a series of lectures and forums on such conditions as arthritis, scoliosis, low back pain, and traffic accidents. Medical missions and screening for various diseases of the bones and the joints were conducted. Each day was also concluded with the
Banat Buto Program, which aims to develop a "three o'clock exercise habit."
Amzel Ordoñez
|
