The forum brought together approximately 200 leading experts and medical professionals from major hospitals in Vietnam and South Korea to share groundbreaking advancements aimed at optimizing treatment protocols, providing opportunities for survival, and comprehensively improving the quality of life for patients.
According to data from the Global Cancer Organization (GLOBOCAN 2024), breast cancer continues to be the most common type of cancer in Vietnam, with 25,711 new cases. Globally , it is also the leading malignancy among women, with approximately 2.4 million new cases each year.
In light of this situation, modern medicine is no longer focused solely on early screening and detection, but is strongly shifting its emphasis to minimizing unnecessary invasive interventions, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, and designing personalized treatment plans.
Speaking at the conference, Associate Professor, Dr. Do Anh Tu, Chief of the Office of the Vietnam Cancer Society and Deputy Director of K Hospital, emphasized that current breast cancer treatment is approached in a personalized manner, applying precision medicine and multi-modal approaches. A series of advances in diagnostic imaging, molecular biology, surgery, pathology, as well as immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and endocrine therapy have fundamentally changed intervention strategies, helping patients prolong their lives and improve their physical and mental well-being. Therefore, proactively updating international standard scientific evidence into clinical practice in Vietnam is of particular urgency.
One of the key topics discussed in depth by experts at the forum was the trend towards minimizing surgical intervention while still ensuring thorough disease control.
Alongside the removal of tumors, breast reconstruction techniques have also seen a leap forward. Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Dinh Tung, an expert from Hong Ngoc General Hospital, shared that reconstructive surgery today is not simply about restoring external appearance to help patients feel confident in social interactions, but aims to preserve all three elements: balanced shape, natural softness, and breast tissue sensation.
In Vietnam, modern techniques such as immediate breast reconstruction, combined with autologous fat grafting and intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), have been systematically implemented, helping women maintain their confidence immediately after the procedure.
Beyond surgical aspects, discussions on systemic treatment offered in-depth solutions tailored to specific patient groups. For advanced, metastatic breast cancer, optimizing immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy offered promising long-term disease control.
Notably, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing diagnostic imaging. Professor Eun Sook Ko of Samsung Medical Center (South Korea) stated that AI technology integrated into breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) not only significantly shortens scanning time and improves image quality, but also acts as a powerful assistant to help doctors identify and classify suspected lesions, and predict tumor response to pre-operative chemotherapy treatments.
These scientific advances provide a solid foundation for breast cancer patients to access modern, safe treatment methods, effectively controlling the disease while ensuring they can maintain a high quality of life in the long term.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/buoc-tien-moi-trong-chan-doan-dieu-tri-ung-thu-vu-1759363.html
