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Modern medicine is gradually shifting cancer from a short-term battle to a condition that can be controlled over the long term. That progress depends on advances in science and treatment, coordinated health-system efforts, and proactive awareness and screening by individuals.
Speaking at an international cancer forum in Singapore on April 18, 2026, Dr. Richard Quek, former Deputy Head of the Oncology Division at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, said that in Southeast Asia the most common cancers for men are lung, colorectal, and prostate. For women, breast cancer is the most common, followed by colorectal cancer.
Dr. Quek noted that lung cancer is rising rapidly even among non-smokers. Cervical cancer remains prevalent in areas where HPV vaccination and regular screening have not been well implemented. He also said breast cancer and colorectal cancer are trending younger, and that over the next 5–10 years, economic development is expected to change disease patterns.
He added that cancers linked to infections or poor sanitation—such as liver cancer from hepatitis B or cervical cancer—are expected to decline as vaccination and screening improve. At the same time, cancers more common in developed countries, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancers, are expected to rise in countries with younger populations.
Professor Dr. Huỳnh Quang Khánh, head of the Breast Unit at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, reported that the hospital has treated two breast cancer patients carrying BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Such mutations raise lifelong cancer risk to about 69–72%.
The first patient, a 59-year-old woman from Quảng Ngãi, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in 2023. Because her mother had breast cancer, she underwent testing and was found to carry BRCA1. After surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, doctors detected malignant changes in the remaining breast during a March 2026 follow-up and proceeded with mastectomy. Five days later, the patient was stable and discharged.
The second patient, a 51-year-old woman in Ho Chi Minh City, was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer during a routine health check. With a family history of breast cancer and thyroid cancer, she tested positive for BRCA2. Following multidisciplinary discussion, the team chose laparoscopic mastectomy and bilateral reconstruction to reduce recurrence risk. The patient is currently stable, and the treatment results were described as balancing disease control and aesthetics.
Experts said hereditary breast cancer accounts for only about 5–10% of all cases, but risk is much higher for BRCA mutation carriers than in the general population. Doctors advised people with a family history of breast, ovarian, or pancreatic cancer, those diagnosed at a young age, and those with triple-negative breast cancer to consider early screening and genetic testing when indicated to improve outcomes.
At K Hospital (Hanoi), physicians treated a 41-year-old woman with stage IV breast cancer with bone metastases. The patient responded well to personalized therapy based on the different biological characteristics of two tumor lesions: the right breast was triple-negative, while the left breast was invasive ductal carcinoma.
After comprehensive evaluation, the patient received long-term systemic therapy designed to balance efficacy, safety, and cost. The lesions shrank noticeably, she tolerated treatment well, and her quality of life was maintained. Doctors emphasized that maximum treatment effectiveness comes from tailoring regimens to tumor biology, personalizing therapy for each patient, combining approaches to cover risks at each lesion, and closely monitoring response to adjust promptly.
At the International Breast Cancer Conference 2026 held April 22–23 under the theme “Multimodal management of breast cancer in the era of precision medicine,” Prof. Dr. Le Van Quang, director of K Hospital, said that in Vietnam breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women, with 24,563 new cases annually. He also noted that three-quarters of breast cancer cases are detected at an early stage.
Conference discussions highlighted a shift from largely single-method treatment strategies to multimodal models combining surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, imaging, pathology, and molecular biology. Precision medicine, experts said, supports treatments tailored to tumor biology, genetic factors, and patient-specific conditions.
They also pointed to the growing role of targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and endocrine therapies, particularly in advanced stages. Technological advances—including artificial intelligence in imaging and pathology, improved radiotherapy techniques such as IMRT and VMAT, and less invasive surgical options with reconstruction—were described as helping enable earlier detection and more precise treatment.
While treatment continues to advance, experts stressed that comprehensive care—including psychological support, nutrition, and palliative care—is essential to help patients manage side effects and maintain quality of life throughout treatment.
Early detection remains key to reducing the cancer burden. Doctors recommended regular self-examinations and periodic screening from age 40 using ultrasound or mammography as needed. They said early detection can significantly improve five-year survival when cancer remains localized.
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