HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - National Cancer Control Plans (NCCPs) must becomprehensive and funded since the global cancer burden is huge and wouldincrease, Dr Alexandru Eniu of the European Society For Medical Oncology’sexecutive board has warned.

NCCPs acknowledge cancer as a diverse group of different diseases requiringspecific patient management, he told an annual scientific conference held atthe Thu Duc district Hospital on November 21.

They promote cancer research and the use of cancer statistics to determinenational priorities and epidemiological specificities, and set the objectives,goals and targets for cancer control, he said.

The plans work for the prevention of the four main lifestyle risk factors forcancers, tobacco, alcohol, obesity, and physical inactivity, he said, addingthat they would support primary care health providers in the early detection ofcancers, he said.

But they require multi-stakeholder engagement to develop, implement andoperationalise successful and effective cancer control strategies and turnpolicy commitment into effective action, he said.

Stakeholders include public and private hospitals, NGOs and academia.

“Good health is a basic human right and a prerequisite for sustainable globaldevelopment.

“We are currently experiencing a cancer epidemic,” said Dr. Eniu.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer’s 2018 GLOBOCAN report showedthe new cancer cases world-wide had risen to 18.1 million, including 9.6million deaths.

Cancers of the lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, and stomach were the mostcommon among them.

Dr Nguyen Trieu Vu, head of the Thu Duc district Hospital’s oncologydepartment, said Vietnam has 164,000 new cases each year and cancers kill114,000 people every year.

“Cancer patients in the country are diagnosed late and do not have access to[proper treatment].”

Eniu said 90 percent of patients in low- and middle-income countries lackaccess to radiotherapy.

“Only 5 percent of patients in low-middle-income countries and 20 percent inmiddle-income countries have access to safe, affordable and timely cancersurgery.”

Disparities in access to care exist and would grow due to struggling healthsystems in emerging countries, he said.

Prevention is not enough and treatment is essential, he said. Secondary care isnecessary, he said.

Inexpensive medicines treat nearly 80 percent of cancers, he said.

Dr Le Tu Phuong Chi of the Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital’s gynaecological oncologydepartment said the Department of Maternal and Child Health has developed anational action plan for prevention and control of cervical cancerby 2025.

The plan identifies targets based on domestic and international orientation,enhances the availability and quality of treatment and increases the level ofservice utilisation through communication and health education, she said.

It aims to ensure all provincial and city hospitals can conduct cervicalcytology and analyse the results of the cervical samples, 90 percent ofdistrict hospitals can do the test and 70 percent of commune health stationscan do visual inspection with acetic acid for screening.

It also targets 60 percent of women aged 30 to 54 being screened for cervicalcancer.

“Most cervical cancer cases can be prevented by screening, early detection andtreatment of precancerous lesions or the detection and treatment of earlyinvasive cancers,” Chi said.

The conference also heard presentations on cardiovascular treatment and others.-VNS/VNA