Vietnam May Have Highest Number of Cancer Cases Worldwide by 2020: Expert

Vietnam may become a nation with the highest number of cancer cases in the world by 2020, said Do Ngoc Chinh, deputy director of the Center for Study and Consultation on Consumerism (CESCON), state media reported. Mr. Chinh made the projection based on the fact that cancer has grown widespread in Vietnam in recent years, for instance in 2000, there were around 69,000 cases of fresh cancer yet the number increased to 150,000 in 2015. It is estimated that by 2020 the Southeast Asian nation will have nearly 200,000 cases of cancer, making it a nation with highest number of cancer patients worldwide. Cancer experts said that the cases of fresh cancer leaped because of unsafe food, polluted environment and prolonged life-span. For these reasons, the number of cancer patients due to eating unsafe food is highest with 35%, next is smoking and hereditary factor accounting for 5%-10%. The Fund to support cancer people and Tumor Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City announced that the country has around 12,000 fresh cases of breast cancer annually. (dantri.com.vn Mar 27)