Hope From Within (HFW), a multi-stakeholder cancer advocacy campaign spearheaded by global healthcare leader MSD in the Philippines, recently marked its 10th anniversary with a renewed commitment to strengthen its focus on the needs of Filipino cancer patients. The milestone celebration served as a powerful call to intensify efforts to close critical gaps in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment access nationwide.
‘Hope From Within has become more than a campaign, it is a movement that opens doors for patients,’ said Allan Ancheta, Business Unit Director for Oncology at MSD in the Philippines.
‘Whether it’s supporting access to early screening, expanding treatment options, or building partnerships that empower communities, HFW has been about making quality cancer care a reality for more Filipinos. Our commitment is to continue breaking barriers, so no patient is left behind,’ he added.
Building on foundational initiatives like Cancer Game Plan PH and Tita Hope Talks, which focused on strengthening healthcare infrastructure, improving financing models, and securing cancer assistance funds, HFW has evolved.
In 2024, the campaign expanded into precision medicine with the launch of ‘Hit the Mark.’ This initiative unites patient groups, medical societies, laboratories, and healthcare companies to champion equitable access to biomarker testing and personalized treatment for lung cancer patients. Initially partnering with Hi-Precision Diagnostics, Hit the Mark recently welcomed Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory. Eligible patients now benefit from a single, unified form for convenient access to vital lung cancer biomarker tests (including EGFR and PD-L1), providing oncologists with critical tools for recommending the most appropriate treatment options from the start.
Patient Safety Day 2025
The HFW anniversary coincided with Patient Safety Day 2025 which highlighted that true safety in cancer care means more than preventing harm; it requires timely diagnosis, affordable treatment, and equitable access to innovative therapies. For many Filipinos, these remain out of reach, creating urgent gaps in care that HFW seeks to close.
‘We cannot talk about patient safety without addressing accessibility,’ said Andreas Riedel, President and Managing Director of MSD in the Philippines.
‘Safety is compromised when treatment is delayed or denied. That is why we continue working with partners to strengthen the cancer care continuum, whether through financing reforms, awareness campaigns, or biomarker testing so that every Filipino patient gets the care they need, when they need it,’ Riedel emphasized.
Redefining cancer care
Since its inception in 2015, HFW has been at the forefront of efforts to redefine cancer care through education, patient empowerment, and policy advocacy. Over the years, the platform has reached more than 20 million Filipinos, mobilizing communities, patient groups, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to work together toward the full implementation and funding of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA).
‘Every Filipino cancer patient deserves the best possible chance, not just to survive, but to live well,’ said Riedel.
He shared that Hope From Within was founded on the principle of placing patients at the center of all healthcare decisions.
‘Ten years on, our mission is stronger than ever: to find real solutions that close the cancer care gap, make treatment accessible, and give every patient the dignity of hope,’ added Riedel.
Empowering patients with digital tools
In keeping with its commitment to providing patient-centered resources, HFW will soon launch Let’s Talk Lung, a new AI-powered chatbot accessible via the campaign’s website. This digital innovation provides patients, caregivers, and the public with quick, reliable answers to common questions about lung cancer, including symptoms and diagnostic tests. Building on HFW’s award-winning platform, the chatbot expands the campaign’s capacity to empower patients with accurate, accessible, and easy-to-understand information anytime, anywhere.
HFW’s decade of sustained advocacy reflects the true power of partnership, yielding significant results-from championing the passage of the NICCA in 2019 to helping secure increased cancer assistance funding. Moving forward, MSD in the Philippines and its diverse partners across government, healthcare, and patient communities remain united by one goal: delivering equitable, comprehensive, and safe cancer care to every Filipino.
‘Ten years is just the beginning,’ Riedel concluded. ‘We will keep working until every Filipino patient feels seen, heard, and supported, and until no one has to fight cancer alone.’