Vietnam records 75,000 deaths from cancer each year

Each year in Vietnam there are about 150,000 new cases of cancer and over 75,000 deaths from cancer, an official from the Ministry of Health (MoH) has said.

Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan quoted data from the national survey on the burden of the disease in Vietnam saying that 74.3% of the burden is due to non-communicable diseases in which cancer is among the top ten causes.

A child undergoing cancer treatment with an umbilical cord blood transplant at the Hanoi-based National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion. (Credit: laodong.com.vn)

At a conference on access to effective and affordable cancer treatment held by the MoH in Hanoi on April 12, Tuan emphasised that the event aimed to share information and experiences in accessing cancer treatment and develop solutions that help cancer patients have better access to quality treatment and services at the lowest cost, thereby reducing the financial burden for their families and health insurance funds.

Reports at the seminar stated that cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, as well as in Asia and Vietnam.

Currently in Vietnam, the ten most common cancers in men are lung, stomach, liver, colon and rectum, esophageal, arch, lymph, blood, prostate and bladder. Meanwhile, the ten most common cancers in women are breast, colorectal, lung, cervix, stomach, thyroid, liver, ovarian, lymph nodes and blood.

The total direct burden of six cancers - breast, cervical, liver, colorectal, stomach, oral - was estimated at 0.22% of the total GDP in 2012.

The national strategy for cancer prevention during 2011-2015 included screening and early detection for 532,000 people for all types of cancer, resulting in a rate of breast cancer at 63.7/100,000 women, cervical cancer at 22.6/100,000 women, and oral cancer at 15/100,000 people. Diagnosis and treatment networks have been developed across the nation.

However, high-tech development has only been concentrated in high-level hospitals and a range of modern technologies have not yet been implemented in Vietnam, in addition to lack of home-based care and socio-psychological support hindering treatment for cancer patients.

According to assessment on the impact of cancer on the domestic economy and finance in the last 12 months in Vietnam, 24% of patients die from cancer, while 31% of current cancer patients have economic and financial troubles.

At the conference, participants discussed costs for treating cancer in Vietnam, health insurance coverage for cancer patients, and current cancer treatment trends.

(Source: NDO)