5/28/2020
E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly
bladder); and (2) cancer, epithellematous or ulceration of the skin or of the corneal surface of the
eye due to tar, pitch, bitumen, mineral oil or paraffin, or compound products or residues of these
substances. Section 20 of the same Contract also states that those illnesses not listed under Section
32 are disputably presumed as work-related. Section 20 should, however, be read together with
Section 32-A on the conditions to be satisfied for an illness to be compensable, to wit:
For an occupational disease and the resulting disability or death to be compensable, all the following
conditions must be established:
1. The seafarer’s work must involve the risk described herein;
2. The disease was contracted as a result of the seafarer’s exposure to the described risks;
3. The disease was contracted within a period of exposure and under such other factors necessary to
contract it;
4. There was no notorious negligence on the part of the seafarer.
Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer or large bowel cancer, includes cancerous growths in
the colon, rectum and appendix. With 655,000 deaths worldwide per year, it is the fifth most
common form of cancer in the United States of America and the third leading cause of cancer-related
deaths in the Western World. Colorectal cancers arise from adenomatous polyps in the colon. These
mushroom-shaped growths are usually benign, but some develop into cancer over time. Localized
colon cancer is usually diagnosed through colonoscopy.
Tumors of the colon and rectum are growths arising from the inner wall of the large intestine. Benign
tumors of the large intestine are called polyps. Malignant tumors of the large intestine are called
cancers. Benign polyps can be easily removed during colonoscopy and are not life-threatening. If
benign polyps are not removed from the large intestine, they can become malignant (cancerous)
over time. Most of the cancers of the large intestine are believed to have developed as polyps.
Colorectal cancer can invade and damage adjacent tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also break
away and spread to other parts of the body (such as liver and lung) where new tumors form. The
spread of colon cancer to distant organs is called metastasis of the colon cancer. Once metastasis
has occurred in colorectal cancer, a complete cure of the cancer is unlikely.
Globally, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in males and the fourth leading cause
of cancer in females. The frequency of colorectal cancer varies around the world. It is common in
the Western world and is rare in Asia and in Africa. In countries where the people have adopted
western diets, the incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing.
Factors that increase a person’s risk of colorectal cancer include high fat intake, a family history of
colorectal cancer and polyps, the presence of polyps in the large intestine, and chronic ulcerative
colitis.
Diets high in fat are believed to predispose humans to colorectal cancer. In countries with high
colorectal cancer rates, the fat intake by the population is much higher than in countries with low
cancer rates. It is believed that the breakdown products of fat metabolism lead to the formation of
cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). Diets high in vegetables and high-fiber foods may rid the
bowel of these carcinogens and help reduce the risk of cancer.
A person’s genetic background is an important factor in colon cancer risk. Among first-degree
relatives of colon-cancer patients, the lifetime risk of developing colon cancer is 18%. Even though
family history of colon cancer is an important risk factor, majority (80%) of colon cancers occur
sporadically in patients with no family history of it. Approximately 20% of cancers are associated
with a family history of colon cancer. And 5% of colon cancers are due to hereditary colon cancer
syndromes. Hereditary colon cancer syndromes are disorders where affected family members have
inherited cancer-causing genetic defects from one or both of the parents.
The aforesaid case requires that Section 20 B(4) should be read in relation to Section 32-A of the POEA
Standard Employment Contract.[17]
elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/57242
3/6