The development of new generation sequencing along with artificial intelligence help doctors quickly identify the best drugs for their patients, said doctor Phan Minh Liem.
The development of new generation sequencing along with artificial intelligence help doctors quickly identify the best drugs for their patients. (Photo: ungthuvietnam.com)
Khanh Hoa (VNS/VNA) - The development of new generationsequencing along with artificial intelligence help doctors quickly identify thebest drugs for their patients, said doctor Phan Minh Liem.
Addressing at workshop on next-generation sequencing and genomicsin cancer precision medicine and screening held in the central province of KhanhHoa on July 3, Liem said with these technologies, genetic experts can analysegenomes, detect genetic mutations that increase the risk of cancer and provideappropriate cancer prevention counselling.
According to Liem - who has been honoured four times by MDAnderson Cancer Centre in the United States, cancer is a deadly disease inVietnam. The treatment of diseases in Vietnam is still limited as it based onmonitoring the effects of drugs, but if detected early, cancer can becontrolled, he said.
“The results of 20,000 gene sequencings provideimportant information about genetic mutations. The analysis of the genetic codewill help medical specialists choose the right treatment, especially forcancer,” said Yun Yu, from MD Anderson Cancer Centre.
According to the Ministry of Health, more than150,000 new cancer cases are detected yearly in Vietnam. Of these, nearly90,000 resulted in deaths, mainly due to late detection.
Vietnam is among the countries with the highestrates of cancer mortality in the world at 74.8 percent. Cancer is a dangerousdisease and claims the lives of more than 8 million people a year.
Liem said that the number of people sufferingfrom the disease could be cut if cancer screening technology was used well.
On this occasion, a Vietnam-US BiomedicalInstitute was launched on July 3 in Nha Trang city.
The institute will be the place for patients toreceive information, counselling support and help finding the optimal drug fortreatment from specialists at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre, the AmericanSociety for Clinical Pathology and the American College of Medical Genetics andGenomics.
꧅ According to Tran Dinh Thien, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, the opening of the institute is a breakthrough, allowing Vietnam to use the world’s advanced medical treatment. It would help Vietnamese access cancer screening technology without having to visit Japan and Singapore as before, he said.
Thien said that successful transfer of technology for early detection and treatment of cancer at the Vietnam-US Biomedical Institute demonstrates that the Vietnamese medical sector is fully capable of receiving the world’s advanced solutions, opening up opportunities for the best screening, treatment and lowest possible costs for patients in Vietnam.-VNS/VNA
A nine month shortage of Glivec cancer medicine produced by the Novartis Pharma Service – AG Company (Switzerland) has eased for hundreds of patients following a Government move to allow hospitals to stock the pharmaceutical product using old import dossiers.
The Central Lung Hospital in Hanoi aims to utilise scientific and technological advances in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, according to the hospital’s Director Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
The development of new generation sequencing along with artificial intelligence help doctors quickly identify the best drugs for their patients. (Photo: ungthuvietnam.com) 
