This news was announced at an annual Hue Oncology Conference today, drawing together a distinguished assembly of international experts from renowned institutions such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the Global Cancer Fund, European Bone Marrow Transplant Group, Stanford University, and the National University of Singapore and countries like Australia, Japan, Canda, Belgium, Germany, Thailand and India.
This prominent gathering, co-organized by Hue Central Hospital and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, is considered a pivotal platform for domestic and foreign specialists to exchange insights and showcase the latest advancements in cancer care.
The conference underscored the escalating global burden of cancer, with a projected threefold increase in the next three decades. Alarmingly, the incidence of cancer among younger populations is on the rise. According to GLOBOCAN 2022, approximately 20 million cancer cases were diagnosed worldwide in 2022, an increase of two million cases against that in 2020. Furthermore, the burden of cancer has tripled over the past 30 years with rising cancer incidence amongst younger populations.
The GLOBOCAN 2022 also announced that Vietnam ranked 90th out of 185 countries regarding the rate of new cancer cases, while the cancer mortality rate ranked 50th out of 185 countries.
The burden of cancer is expected to grow significantly in both developing and middle-income countries. During this period, cancer rates are projected to increase by 142 percent in less developed nations and by 99 percent in countries with upper-middle income categories. These trends highlight the urgent need for global efforts to prevent, detect, and treat cancer effectively.
It was estimated that there were 182,563 new cancer cases and 122,690 cancer-related deaths in 2022. For every 100,000 people, approximately 159 were diagnosed with new cancer cases, and 106 individuals died from cancer. These statistics highlight the importance of continued efforts in cancer prevention, early detection, and effective treatment.
At present, around 35 million Vietnamese people are living with cancer.
According to a study conducted by Hue Central Hospital on head and neck cancers diagnosed between 2010 and 2020, the proportion of patients under 40 years old was 11.2 percent, nearly doubling compared to the data from the previous decade.
However, over time and with societal development alongside significant medical advancements, there have been new developments in cancer diagnosis and treatment, resulting in encouraging achievements. Increasingly, more cancer patients are healed. It’s noteworthy that cancer diagnosis and treatment in Vietnam now benefit from technological advancements on a global scale.
The conference delved into a spectrum of critical topics, including cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for prevalent cancers such as breast, lung, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers. Furthermore, the event focused on the latest developments in radiation oncology, including proton therapy, pediatric oncology, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy in pediatric cancers. Palliative care and oncology nursing were also highlighted as essential components of comprehensive cancer care.
