This information was revealed by Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van at a meeting held in Hanoi Thuan on April 8 to mark World Health Day 2023 themed “Health For All”.

He cited statistics saying every year Vietnam has more than 182,000 new cases of cancer, and over 122,000 people die from this disease, 18 times more than deaths caused by traffic accidents.

Globally, there are nearly 20 million new cases of cancer and more than 10 million deaths caused by the disease, with two-thirds recorded in developing countries.

“With approximately 354,000 Vietnamese people living with cancer at present, the figure is many times higher than 30 years ago, and the number of sufferers is likely to increase in coming years,” said the professional.

In every 100,000 Vietnamese people, he said 159 people are newly diagnosed with cancer and 106 people die from the disease.

Among the 10 most common types of cancer are liver, lung, breast, stomach, colon cancer, rectum, and prostate.

Despite medical advances made in early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, many cancer patients still come to see the doctor at a late stage, a leading factor behind the high mortality.

According to the World Health Organisation, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths globally.

Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to tobacco use, a high body mass index, alcohol consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, and a lack of physical activity.

Cancer-causing infections, such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis, are responsible for approximately 30% of cancer cases in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

It’s also noteworthy that many cancers can be cured providing that they are detected early and then treated effectively.

Cancer treatment requires a combination of several therapies such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. In particular, immunity is a promising new therapy that helps many patients recover from the disease.

Thuan also assessed that Vietnam’s disease pattern has changed a lot over the years. Non-communicable diseases have tended to increase, while infectious diseases have undergone a decrease. Most notably, four main non-communicable diseases, namely cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental disorders, are increasing and are becoming the leading causes of death.

To protect the health of citizens, Thuan recommended that people undergo physical exercises every day, give up smoking, and maintain a healthy diet with reasonable nutritional supplements. He also advised people to go for regular health check-ups, especially at the age of 35 in order to early detect and effectively treat serious illnesses.

Source: VOV