At the launching ceremony of the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign "Joining hands for the woman I love" in 2024 held on October 16, at K Hospital, Quan Su facility, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said: "According to statistics from GLOBOCAN in 2022, the world recorded nearly 2.3 million new cases and 666,000 deaths from breast cancer each year.
In Vietnam alone, statistics show that there are about 24,600 new cases and 10,000 deaths each year, accounting for 1/3 of the total number of cancer cases in women.
In particular, the age of breast cancer is getting younger, creating a big challenge for both patients and the health system. Many women delay screening because of fear, leading to late detection of the disease, making treatment difficult and less effective.
However, breast cancer is a disease that can be cured if detected early, treated promptly and properly. The earlier it is detected, the simpler and more effective the treatment will be, the higher the cure rate and the lower the treatment cost.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized: Currently, medicine has made many advances in breast cancer treatment, from surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy to advanced methods such as endocrine therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. These advances have improved the quality of treatment, bringing hope to many patients.
"The presence of the 'Pink Warriors' here is a testament to the progress that the health sector has achieved. This is also a source of motivation for the health sector to continue promoting the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, protecting the health of Vietnamese women" - Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan said.
According to the 2022 Cancer Registry, each year, our country records 24,563 new cases of breast cancer, accounting for 28.9% of all cancer cases in women. However, this is a disease that can be completely cured if detected early, treated promptly and properly. The earlier it is detected, the simpler and more effective the treatment is, the higher the cure rate and the lower the treatment cost.
Although breast cancer is a disease that can be cured if detected early and treated promptly, there are still many women who do not take the initiative to get screened.
"I want to emphasize to women: Don't delay! Love yourself, take the initiative to take care of your health and regularly take the 5 necessary steps to detect breast cancer early, for effective treatment" - Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan said.
