Solon seeks annual holding of

National Thyroid Cancer Awareness Week

To heighten public awareness about thyroid cancer, the sixth leading cancer in the
country, a lawmaker is seeking the declaration of the fourth week of September every year
as the National Thyroid Cancer Awareness eek!"
#ep! $ariano $ichael %elarde, &r! '(arty)list, *uhay+ said the declaration would
educate and make people aware that almost ,- percent of thyroid cancer in the country are
well differentiated carcinoma and are highly curable by appropriate surgery! $ore so,
radioactive iodine is the main mode of treatment for persistent or metastic lesions,
according to him!
(atients affected by this type of cancer if not given the needed treatment like
surgery and radioactive iodine live with constant fear of death like other cancer patients,"
said %elarde!
.e said his proposal to declare a National Thyroid Cancer Awareness eek" as
embodied in .ouse *ill //01 would coincide with the 2nternational Celebration of
Thyroid Cancer Awareness $onth" in September 345/!
6or public education and awareness campaign and to effect the purpose of the
proposed declaration, a national information campaign including, but not limited to, local
health agencies and clinics, physicians, health care facilities, pharmacies, libraries, senior
citi7en centers, and other community)based outreach programs and organi7ations should
be in place to instill awareness among the public about thyroid cancer disease! 2t will also
generate full support for the special needs of thyroid cancer survivors affected by the
disease, from both public and private sectors," said %elarde!
%elarde, a vice chairman of the .ouse committees on science and technology, and
on information and communications technology, said according to the 8epartment of
.ealth '89.+, thyroid cancer is the sixth leading cancer in the country as of 3454! The
incidence is three times more in females than in males!
Thyroid cancer is the most common cancer of women at 5- to 3/ years of age," he
said!
.e said the warning signals of thyroid cancer are: a hard mass or nodules in the
anterior neck; rapid enlargement of a long)standing goiter in older patients; cervical lymph
node enlargement; hoarseness; difficulty of swallowing; and difficulty of breathing
associated with goiter!
NR # 3532
JULY 19, 2014
<arly detection includes fine needle aspiration biopsy of solitary nodules, or of
unusually prominent, hard or rapidly growing nodules in multinodular goiter," said
%elarde!
.e said .* //01 is in line with the constitutional provision that The State shall
protect and promote the right to health of the people, and instill health consciousness
among them!"
The bill now pending at the committee on health chaired by #ep! <ufranio <riguel,
$!8! '3
nd
8istrict, =a >nion+ provides the 89. and the (hilippine Thyroid Council
'(TC+ shall serve as the focal agencies for the health sector and the public in the
commemoration of a National Thyroid Cancer Awareness eek" on the fourth week of
September every year! '14+ rbb