Vietnam Takes Action to Prevent Cancer among Women

Health experts have called on the community to take action against cancer at the launching for a program on improving the public awareness of disease prevention among women in Vietnam. The event, which was co-held by the Hanoi-based Cancer Hospital (K-hospital), the World Health Organization and the Canadian Health Bridge Organization, is aimed at targeting the women groups with a high risk of developing breast and cervical cancers. The number of cancer patients in Vietnam is on the rise with more than 126,000 cancer patients found last year, including 54,300 women, experts said.
“Most cancers are preventable and curable with healthy lifestyles and perseverance. A joining together by the whole community could mitigate cancer’s burden on the society,” the K Hospital’s Director, Bui Dieu said.
The communication program focus on developing good habits for cancer prevention as well as teaching woman simple practices to detect the disease early and encouraging women to seek regular health examinations, Dieu said. At the event, doctors also provided cancer consultations to women and a group of 150 youngsters rode bicycles around the main streets of Hanoi to promote the program. Vietnam’s cancer burden is immense. With a population of nearly 87 million, the country is experiencing 150,000 to 200,000 new cancer patients and up to 100,000 cancer-caused deaths per year, making it the second biggest killer after cardiovascular disease. (Cong An Nhan Dan-People’s Police  Oct 17, Vietnamplus.vn Oct 17)