More and more women, particularly those under 30 years old, are at risk of breast cancer in Vietnam, according to Nguyen Ba Duc, head of the National Cancer Institute.
He said that cancer killed more women than any other cancer in Vietnam.
In Hanoi, 24.6 women per 100,000 have cancer, and in Ho Chi Minh City 14.6 women per 100,000 are affected.
The Central Cancer K Hospital’s Department of Breast Surgery in Hanoi overloaded with patients, many of them young.
The department said that of the 1,200 patients with breast cancer who have been treated at K hospital, more than 50 patients were women aged 20 to 30.
On April 4, the hospital launched a club for breast cancer patients that will provide information about early detection and prevention of breast cancer to patients.
According to Duc, environmental pollution and pesticides on food are major causes of breast cancer.
Women who have many abortions or who use contraceptives for a long time are also more susceptible.
Drinking liquor or beer or smoking also increases the risk for breast cancer.
Breast cancer can be hereditary as well, and if a mother has the disease, her daughters may also be affected.
Early detection and awareness of breast cancer saves patients’ lives, and raising awareness of the disease among young people was important, he said.
Many patients abstain from eating certain foods and visit charlatan doctors who are not trained to treat the disease, Duc added.
He advised patients to eat healthy food to increase antibodies to fight off the disease./.
