BARELY a year after finishing her active treatment for endometrial cancer, Annabelle Cadeliña was clueless that her regular mammogram and breast ultrasound checkup was the start of another battle — breast cancer.A teacher by profession from Ormoc City, Annabelle was diagnosed with endometrial cancer at the age of 51 in 2021. In less than a year, just as she was about to continue law school, Annabelle was diagnosed with Stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer.
Wilfred Liangco of the Medical Center Manila said more than half, or 53 percent, of breast cancers in the country are diagnosed in Stages III and IV, while only two to three percent of cases are diagnosed in Stage 1. “More than any other cancer, my opinion is that this reflects the health-seeking behavior of patients, for whatever reason they would opt to seek a consultation later that they should have,” Liangco said.