Choosing Wisely Philippines: ten low-value or harmful practices that should be avoided in cancer care.

The Choosing Wisely Philippines campaign is an initiative that identifies low-value or potentially harmful practices that are relevant to patients with cancer in the Philippines. The main purpose of these initiatives is to facilitate quality improvement systems and maximise patient outcomes. Of the ten practices identified, four are new recommendations, and six are modified adaptations from previous Choosing Wisely initiatives in the USA and Africa. Recommendations in the final list include interventions involving diagnosis (two practices), treatment (five practices), palliative and supportive care (two practices) and surveillance (1 practice).

The role of the medical oncologist in the holistic care of patients with cancer in the Philippines.

In the past decade, cancer care in the Philippines has advanced in response to the complex heterogeneity inherent to the disease and the constantly increasing number of patients. Central to this development is the increased awareness and universal acceptance of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach in providing cancer care to optimize outcomes where medical oncologists play a vital role. This position paper summarizes the unique and multifaceted roles of the medical oncologist in ensuring that the best possible care is given to patients with cancer by actively participating in the whole spectrum of the patient's journey-from diagnosis, treatment, supportive care, until providing palliative care and addressing end-of-life issues.