Gastrointestinal cancers can be detected early.

The latest statistics show a clear upward trend in gastrointestinal cancers: colorectal cancer is among the six most common types of cancer and is on the rise.

According to Mr. Tran Van Thuan, director of the Institute for Cancer Prevention and Control Research, most patients with gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal, stomach, and esophageal cancer, arrive at the hospital in stages 2-3, but early detection leads to much better treatment outcomes.

Listen to your body for early detection.

One of the gastrointestinal cancer patients is musician TL, who underwent surgery on Saturday, November 7th, at Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi with an initial diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

According to information from Viet Duc Hospital, musician TL's health is currently stable, but a definitive diagnosis of his illness will have to wait 4-7 days after the surgery, once the pathology results are available.

However, according to the doctors, the initial diagnoses were quite clear, and musician TL underwent surgery just one day after being diagnosed with cancer.

Colorectal cancer ranks sixth among the most common cancers in Vietnam, with over 8,700 new cases and nearly 6,000 deaths per year.

Graphics: Tan Dat.

According to Mr. Tran Van Thuan, gastrointestinal cancers such as colorectal, stomach, and esophageal cancers are showing a clear upward trend. "Most gastrointestinal cancer patients come to the hospital in stages 2-3, which is the middle stage of the disease. Almost no patients are diagnosed early when the disease has not yet shown initial symptoms," Mr. Thuan stated.

Due to late detection, the mortality rate among gastrointestinal cancer patients is very high. For example, stomach cancer (ranked 4th among common cancers in Vietnam) accounts for nearly 13,000 deaths out of over 14,000 newly diagnosed cases annually.

According to Dr. Dao Van Long (Gastroenterology Center, Bach Mai Hospital), if detected early and treated effectively, over 90% of gastrointestinal cancer patients survive for 5 years or more. However, if detected late, when the tumor has metastasized, the 5-year survival rate is only 3-20%.

According to Mr. Long, the early detection methods currently available in Vietnam allow doctors to diagnose gastrointestinal cancer much earlier than before, when the tumor is still in its initial location and has not metastasized. Thanks to endoscopic ultrasound equipment, doctors can "remove" the mucosal area containing the tumor, instead of having to remove the entire stomach or colon containing the tumor.

At Bach Mai Hospital alone, 30 stomach cancer patients and three colorectal cancer patients have been treated using this method with fairly good results.

However, to ensure early detection, Mr. Tran Van Thuan advises that people aged 40 and above should have regular general health checkups. Those with a family history of colorectal polyps, frequent dull pain in the epigastric region, a history of gastric ulcers, or rectal bleeding should have more frequent examinations (including colonoscopy and gastroscopy) to detect the disease early.

Live a healthy life

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Dang (Hanoi Medical University), there are many causes of gastrointestinal cancer, and the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer increases as society becomes wealthier.

According to Dr. Dang, a diet high in fat and animal meat, and low in vegetables and fiber, is linked to colorectal cancer; many stomach cancer patients have a history of H. pylori infection, and nitrosamines in pickled vegetables and smoked meats are associated with stomach cancer; esophageal cancer is linked to heavy alcohol consumption and smoking habits...

Despite living in a tropical country with an abundance of fruits and vegetables, since 1985, the consumption of green vegetables in Vietnam has not only failed to increase but has actually decreased, reaching only approximately 200 grams per person per day, which is only half of the recommendation of the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, meat consumption, especially red meat (the World Health Organization recently concluded that high red meat consumption is strongly linked to cancer), has been steadily increasing and in urban areas has far exceeded recommendations, with many urban families consuming over 100 grams of meat per person per day. Vietnamese people also eat very little of what are considered healthy foods like fish and dairy products.

According to Ms. Le Bach Mai, deputy director of the National Institute of Nutrition, one of the reasons people are hesitant to eat vegetables is due to concerns about food hygiene, as well as a preference for meat over vegetables.

But while waiting for safe vegetables to become available, being more cautious in choosing vegetables and changing lifestyles to prevent diseases and protect health is the responsibility of everyone - especially homemakers.

Thep Alobacsi.vn