Vietnam Cancer Surge Prompts National Prevention Plan

Vietnam is seeing a sharp rise in cancer cases, with nearly 180,000 new diagnoses each year – a 60% increase and a 35% rise in deaths over the past 16 years. The disease burden is shifting younger, and lung cancer remains the leading cause of male cancer deaths, while breast cancer outcomes have improved thanks to modern therapies. Experts note shortages of oncology specialists and high treatment costs.

In response, the Ministry of Health has launched a National Action Plan for breast and cervical cancer covering 2026‑2035. The plan targets 70% of women aged 40‑70 to be screened regularly by 2035, aims to raise early‑stage detection to 60%, and seeks 80% treatment adherence. For cervical cancer, it sets a "90‑70‑90" goal: 90% of girls 9‑15 vaccinated against HPV, 70% of women 30‑49 screened, and 90% of detected cases receiving proper treatment.