Vietnamese cancer mortality rate higher than traffic accidents
VOV.VN - Vietnam records an additional 126,000 cases of cancer, and more than 94,000 deaths from the disease each year, said Tran Van Tuan, director of K Hospital, at an international conference on November 3.
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Mr. Tuan noted that the number of deaths due to cancer is 9 times higher than from traffic accidents.
He attributed the higher mortality rate to the late examination, detection, and treatment (accounting for more than 70%). He emphasised that the survival rate of cancer patients is about 40%, mostly from early detected diseases such as breast cancer, adding that this rate might reach 60% thanks to early detection. Meanwhile, the survival rate for lung cancer remains low, with 80% of patients diagnosed late.
The average cancer survival rate in developed countries is more than 80%, thanks to the screening campaign for early detection. At present, the costs for screening are covered by social insurances, helping to increase the chances of early detection.
Deputy Minister of Health Le Quang Cuong said the government has approved a strategy for preventing cancer and other chronic disease in the 2015-2025 period, aiming to improve early detection for all cancer cases.
