According to Globocan 2022 and the World Health Organization (WHO), Vietnam records more than 24,000 new cases of lung cancer and nearly 22,600 deaths from this disease each year. Lung cancer currently ranks 3rd in the number of new cases and 2nd in the number of deaths from cancer.
In order to raise community awareness and early detection of cancer, the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) is implementing the program "Early detection screening and free consultation on lung cancer".
Coming to participate in the screening examination, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (born 1957, Van Dinh commune, Hanoi) said that she had often coughed and had chest pain spreading to her back before, so she registered for examination.
After examination, she was diagnosed by doctors with lung damage and white spots in her lungs. "I find the program very meaningful because it helps people detect diseases in their bodies early, receive advice from doctors and know treatment directions in a timely manner," Ms. Hien shared.
Meanwhile, Ms. Tran Thi Hoi (Ninh Binh) said that her family has a father and older brother who have had lung cancer. She herself works and is frequently exposed to dust, recently experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath but has not had the conditions to go for examination. When she learned about the free examination program of Bach Mai Hospital, she arranged time to visit and was enthusiastically supported by doctors and nurses.
Despite many advances in medicine, access to lung cancer treatment methods in Vietnam is still limited, with the rate of disease detection at a late stage still high, creating a very large burden. According to statistics, up to 84% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed when the disease is already at a late stage, only about 16% are detected early.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Cam Phuong - Director of the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital, lung cancer is currently one of the common cancers in Vietnam, people in high-risk groups such as smoking for many years, frequent exposure to smoke and dust, chronic lung disease or having a family history of lung cancer should proactively have periodic screening to increase the chance of early detection and treatment.
In the early stages, lung cancer has almost no specific symptoms. When patients show signs such as chest pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes or metastasis, the disease usually has progressed," the doctor emphasized.
Doctors also recommend that people should proactively screen for cancer to be detected early if they have the disease, increase the rate of treatment and treatment costs.
The program takes place from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM on May 10, 2026, May 17, 2026, May 24, 2026 at the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology - Bach Mai Hospital for groups aged 50 and over who have one of the risk factors including smokers or tobacco smokers for many years, people who are frequently exposed to smoke and dust, occupational pollution, people with a history of cancer or families with lung cancer, people with chronic lung disease (COPD, pulmonary fibrosis) and passive smokers.
