Breast cancer treatment is undergoing significant changes. Instead of maximizing intervention for every patient, medicine is increasingly focusing on precisely identifying who needs surgery, where the intervention should be performed, and which medications are appropriate for each individual's biological characteristics.
These were also the issues that Vietnamese and Korean experts focused on discussing at the international conference "New Trends in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Highlights from GBCC 2026," held on October 3rd at Hong Ngoc - Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital.
Eleven Vietnamese and Korean experts presented their findings at the conference "New Trends in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Highlights from GBCC 2026".
From early detection to accurate treatment
According to information presented at the conference, GLOBOCAN 2024 recorded 25,711 new cases of breast cancer in Vietnam, making it the cancer with the highest number of new cases in the country. Globally , breast cancer is also the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, with approximately 2.4 million new cases in 2024.
With the number of people contracting the disease still high, the demands placed on medicine are not only early detection but also finding treatment options tailored to each individual patient.
The conference was attended by approximately 200 doctors, specialists, and representatives from professional associations, with 11 speakers from Vietnam and South Korea. The program was organized in collaboration with Hong Ngoc - Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital, the Organizing Committee of the Global Breast Cancer Conference (GBCC), and the Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS).
The conference comprised four scientific sessions, focusing on minimally invasive surgery, systemic therapy, early-stage breast cancer surgery, and breast cancer diagnosis. Experts discussed various issues that are changing clinical practice, such as reduced axillary lymph node intervention, narrowing the scope of surgery based on preoperative response, individualized endocrine therapy, optimizing immunotherapy in metastatic breast cancer, and the application of AI in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Associate Professor Dr. Do Anh Tu - Chief of the Office of the Vietnam Cancer Society, Deputy Director of K Hospital, delivered the opening remarks at the conference.
Associate Professor Dr. Do Anh Tu, Chief of the Office of the Vietnam Cancer Society and Deputy Director of K Hospital, believes that breast cancer is now approached in a personalized manner, applying precision medicine and combining multiple treatment methods. Advances in diagnostic imaging, pathology, molecular biology, surgery, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are changing treatment strategies, aiming to prolong survival time and improve the quality of life for patients.
Breast cancer surgery: Less invasive, more conservative.
One of the highlights of the conference was the trend toward optimizing and reducing the level of intervention in breast cancer surgery.
While surgery previously tended to be a broad treatment for disease control, intervention decisions are now increasingly considered based on individual patient characteristics, treatment response, and risk factors.
Professor Jeong Eon Lee, President of the Global Breast Cancer Conference, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Korean Breast Cancer Society, Director of the Breast Cancer Center - Director of the Office of External Affairs, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center.
From an international professional perspective, Professor Jeong Eon Lee, Chairman of GBCC, Chairman of the KBCS Board of Directors, and Director of the Breast Cancer Center at Samsung Medical Center, stated that optimizing and reducing the level of intervention in breast cancer surgery, especially axillary lymph node surgery, is one of the key topics of interest at GBCC 2026.
According to him, GBCC 2026 brought together experts from Japan , Taiwan (China), South Korea, and Western countries to exchange ideas on strategies to optimize and reduce the level of intervention in breast cancer surgery.
In Vietnam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, Head of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Maxillofacial Surgery, Head of the Breast Surgery Unit, Breast and Gynecology Center, Hong Ngoc General Hospital, also shared the advances in breast cancer surgery.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tung – Head of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Maxillofacial Surgery, Head of the Breast Surgery Unit, Breast and Gynecological Center, Hong Ngoc General Hospital, presented a report at the conference.
Notably, immediate breast reconstruction techniques, combined with autologous fat grafting and intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), have been implemented in Vietnam. These techniques demonstrate that the goal of breast cancer surgery is not only to control the disease but also to restore the patient's appearance and long-term quality of life.
Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Dinh Tung stated: “Previously, breast reconstruction surgery primarily aimed at restoring body shape, helping women feel more confident in their clothing and social interactions. Today, breast reconstruction focuses on all three criteria: shape, softness, and sensation. Therefore, the reconstruction plan needs to be individualized according to the characteristics and needs of each patient, instead of applying a single technique to all.”
Individualized drug treatment
Beyond surgery, systemic treatment is also shifting strongly towards individualization. Experts at the conference focused on updating endocrine therapy, adjuvant therapy, and immunotherapy, with an emphasis on selecting treatment strategies based on biological characteristics, risk factors, and disease progression.
Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Dinh Tung will share his experience in performing immediate breast reconstruction surgery at the conference.
Professor Jeong Eon Lee stated that one of the notable recent changes in breast cancer treatment is the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). According to him, based on accumulated experience using this class of drugs worldwide, ADCs have been applied in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients in South Korea.
Besides ADCs, CDK4/6 inhibitors and oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (oral SERDs) are also bringing about changes in breast cancer treatment.
For hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, treatment strategies are increasingly differentiated according to disease characteristics. In particular, for young and premenopausal women, the use of GnRH agonists to suppress ovarian function is being incorporated into endocrine therapy. However, this approach can also lead to menopausal symptoms such as bone pain, joint pain, and hot flashes, requiring physicians to carefully consider and manage treatment appropriately.
Therefore, "individualization" is not simply about choosing a different medication for each patient, but rather a process of comprehensively assessing biological characteristics, risks, treatment response, and related factors to develop a suitable strategy.
Bringing international updates closer to Vietnamese practice.
A notable aspect of the conference was that the approach to bringing the content from GBCC 2026 to Vietnam was not to simply copy international lectures, but to focus on the applicability of those advancements in real-world conditions.
Professor, Doctor Jeong Eon Lee and Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Dinh Tung will co-chair the first scientific session of the conference.
Professor Jeong Eon Lee emphasized that the goal of the GBCC Highlights in Hanoi program is not simply to bring lectures from Seoul to Hanoi . The important thing is for experts to exchange ideas on clinical practices in Vietnam, compare them with the issues discussed at GBCC 2026, and consider the possibility of applying them to treatment in Vietnam.
According to Korean experts, Vietnam and Korea share some similar clinical characteristics. Breast cancer in Asian countries tends to be more common in middle-aged women, while the patient characteristics in Western countries differ. This is one of the reasons why exchanging experiences between Asian countries is significant for treatment practice in the region.
The GBCC was first held in 2007 and is expected to mark its 20th anniversary in 2027. Throughout its development, the conference has aimed to connect advances in breast cancer research worldwide with treatment needs in Asian countries.
From that perspective, the joint discussion between Vietnamese and Korean experts in Hanoi is not only an activity to update professional knowledge, but also opens up a channel for more regular exchange on practical issues faced by patients in the region.
With breast cancer, the treatment goals are therefore expanding: controlling the disease while minimizing unnecessary interventions, preserving function and appearance, selecting medications based on individual patient characteristics, and leveraging new technologies in diagnosis. These changes are placing increasingly high demands on healthcare professionals to stay updated on evidence, collaborate across disciplines, and appropriately integrate medical advancements into practice.
Source: https://congthuong.vn/ung-thu-vu-xu-huong-dieu-tri-chuyen-tu-lam-nhieu-sang-dung-nguoi-dung-muc-475519.html
