Vietnamese surgeons successfully remove breast tumors in high‑risk senior patients

Doctors at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi performed complex surgeries on two elderly women with breast cancer and multiple chronic conditions. A 62‑year‑old patient with type‑II diabetes, complete right‑branch block, a pituitary macroadenoma and adrenal lesions, and an 81‑year‑old patient with vestibular disorder underwent Patey‑type mastectomies after a multidisciplinary conference that included oncology, radiology, pathology, anesthesia, cardiology and endocrinology specialists. The operations were completed without major complications and the patients are recovering well.

At a separate conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Phạm Xuân Dũng, vice‑president of the Vietnam Cancer Society, warned that more diagnostic tests do not automatically improve cancer care. He urged physicians to personalize testing, evaluate each method’s value and adopt multidisciplinary treatment models, which he said can extend patients’ survival by up to 15 months.