Hospital utilises technological advances in lung cancer treatment
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.
Experts gather to seek measures for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment (Photo: kcb.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Central LungHospital in Hanoi aims to utilise scientific and technological advances in lungcancer diagnosis and treatment, according to the hospital’s Director Prof. Dr.Nguyen Viet Nhung.
Nhung, also President of the VietnamAssociation against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, said the hospital willdevelop a specialised network from the central to grassroots level for the earlydetection and treatment of lung cancer.
She said the number of new lung cancer casesaccounts for an estimated 24.4 percent of cancer cases in Vietnam and lungcancer-related deaths make up 21.8 percent.
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancerdeaths globally, she said, noting that most of lung cancer cases are found atthe late-stage. Therefore, early diagnosis can help lengthen and improve thequality of life of patents.
In Vietnam, there are a total of 45 tuberculosisand lung hospitals, Nhung said.
About 22,000 Vietnamese people are diagnosedwith lung cancer every year, while 19,500 die of the disease annually.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of deathamong Vietnamese males, and the second-most common cause for cancer-related fatalitiesamong females, doctors said. More than 34,000 people in Vietnam are forecast tocontract the disease on an annual basis by 2020.
According to figures from Globocan 2012,every year, some 1.8 million new cases of lung cancer are reported globallyevery year, with 1.6 millionlung cancer-related deaths.-VNA
Doctors at HCM City’s Binh Dan Hospital have used a robot for the first time in the country for lung cancer surgery, removing suspicious nodules through a small incision instead of a large one and without using mechanical rib spreaders, unlike in the past.
Vietnam’s national cancer control strategy needed to address the serious problem of infectious agents, which cause more than 20 percent of malignancies in the world, said Prof Nguyen Chan Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Cancer Society.
The National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital) is working on a project to set up the first centre in the country to use proton radiation therapy to treat cancer.
Many people know the environmental harm of using a traditional earthenware stove with coal, but due to its cheap price, many families still use it for cooking and warming their house, endangering their health, according to experts.
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.
Experts gather to seek measures for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment (Photo: kcb.vn) 
