42,000 Vietnamese women living with breast cancer
In 2013, the incidence of breast cancer was about 24.4 in 100,000 people, 5 years later it reached 26.4. It is estimated that on average, each year, more than 15,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, with more than 6,000 deaths. 42,000 Vietnamese women live with the disease.
For every 100,000 women today, 26.4 have breast cancer, an increase compared to five years ago. This is the result of research by Professor Tran Van Thuan, Director of the Central Cancer Hospital, to learn about the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Vietnamese women and is increasing. In 2013, the incidence of breast cancer was about 24.4 in 100,000 people, 5 years later it reached 26.4. It is estimated that on average, each year, more than 15,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, with more than 6,000 deaths. 42,000 Vietnamese women live with the disease.
The average age of breast cancer patients in Vietnam is also younger than in other countries. Most patients are diagnosed at the age of 30-34 and the rate increases rapidly, peaking at the age of 55-59 with a rate of 135/100,000 people.
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| Breast cancer screening for early detection and effective treatment. |
The younger the patient, the worse the prognosis. Younger people with HER2-positive breast cancer are more likely than older people to develop the disease, which is a more dangerous factor than other causes. Breast cancer patients with HER2 are more likely to metastasize and have a high risk of death. Younger people with breast cancer are also less likely to be cured than older people.
Modern technology now allows for the accurate identification of patients with positive HER2 gene receptors, so that doctors can have early, appropriate and effective treatment plans. Previously, the HER 2 gene was identified by immunochemical staining, with an error rate of about 5-10%. Currently, the fluorescent FISH technique provides a nearly 100% accurate diagnosis rate.
New technology is an important factor for doctors to decide to apply targeted therapy. The survival rate after 1-3 years of treatment of patients reaches 98%, including those with lymph node metastasis.
"If this gene is not detected and new treatment methods are not applied, the patient's 5-year survival rate will be less than 50%," said Professor Thuan.
Currently, the cure rate of breast cancer patients at K Hospital is 75%, equivalent to Singapore. The research team hopes to increase the cure rate if cancer is detected earlier.
