Establishing ionizing radiation facilities in the Philippines and beyond (Spanish Edition)

Cancer is the Philippines' second biggest killer, according to the 2020 Global Cancer Observatory, as the country suffers almost 100 000 cancer related deaths per year. Paramount to reducing this toll is early tumour detection, but with medical imaging scans costing, on average, close to US $2000, many Filipino people cannot even afford one. Currently, the Philippines only has four cyclotrons, but they are privately owned, and the country's limited positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) scanning facilities mean that just five per cent of cancer patients can receive cancer diagnoses. Cyclotrons are accelerators that produce radiopharmaceuticals, which are given to patients before receiving a PET–CT scan — a medical scan that creates high-quality 3D images, usually of organs and tissues, to help detect diseases and visualize tumours. With a new cyclotron, the Philippines can produce more radiopharmaceuticals domestically for improved access to PET–CT scanning. Hosting a publicly owned cyclotron and PET–CT scanner, the new Nuclear Medicine Research and Innovation Center will enable, approximately, an additional 5000 patients per year to have access to accurate cancer staging.