Hundreds of doctors attended a training program in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, especially for women who are HER2-Positive, in Hanoi today on July 17. The participating doctors came from different hospitals, including the Hanoi-based K Hospital which specializes in cancer treatment, and the HCM City Oncology Hospital. The training program is the third phase of a four-phase project, "We Care for Her," planned for the 2013-2015 period, and includes actions plans developed by the Ministry of Health, the Supportive Fund for Cancer Patients-Bright Future Fund and the Roche Company. The project was initiated with the slogan, "Together we care for women and prevent breast cancer" through the media and celebrities, as well as the project's major partners, and was conducted in Hanoi, HCM City, Danang, Hue and Can Tho. The first phase of the project included dissemination of information about early prevention and treatment, while the second phase provided specialized knowledge to advocacy groups that will be trained by instructors from the three project partners. In the fourth phase, free clinical exams will be given to women in five cities. Every year about 150,000 new cancer patients are registered in Vietnam and more than 75,000 patients die from the disease, according to the Ministry of Health. About 7,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the country, with 35% of them succumbing to the disease. Nguyen Thi Xuyen, Deputy Minister of Health, said that globally one million new breast cancer cases are detected each year. “Due to low levels of awareness and lack of resources, people do not know enough about the disease. That's why we hope this project will lead to new results and help people live a healthier life,” she said. (Vietnamnews.vn July 18)
