Vietnam diagnoses around 12,000 new breast cancer patients annually, according to the Ministry of Health.
Vietnam has 12,000 new breast cancer patients every year
This was announced at a seminar in Danang, on January 3, to launch the project on breast cancer research and prevention. The project will be centred in Hanoi, HCM City, Hue, Danang and Can Tho.
Dr. Tran Van Tuan, Deputy Director of K Hospital in Hanoi, said that up to 70% of breast cancer patients come in for medical check-ups too late for quick diagnosis and treatment. The rate is about 40% in developed countries.
In Vietnam, breast cancer patients are usually over 35-years old, much younger than in other countries, but the disease also often attacks the young, Tuan said.
However, there are ways to more efficiently prevent and, in many cases, cure the disease if it is caught and treated early. Those most at risk are women who have a history of it in their family, overweight, smokers and those who use contraceptive drugs.
It is forecast that Vietnam will have roughly 25,000 sufferers of breast cancer by 2020.