Significant progress has been made in Vietnam's breast cancer fight

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Vietnam Social Security, Vietnam Health Insurance, and several medical institutions, the project, which ends in 2025, has achieved significant progress in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management.

Vietnam has to contend with over 24,500 new breast cancer cases and more than 10,000 deaths each year, most of whom are women. This joint project was the first strategic initiative to specifically target breast cancer in Vietnam, and it has been implemented across many hospitals nationwide since 2020.

Nguyen Thi Xuyen, president of the VMA, said, “This is the first comprehensive project in Vietnam dedicated to breast cancer and is on such an unprecedented scale with the number of partners involved. The project has achieved spectacular results which would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts of healthcare professionals and a commitment to saving lives across the country.”

Lennor Carrillo, general manager of Roche Pharma Vietnam, said, “Roche is proud to partner with the Ministry of Health, the VMA, and many others under this comprehensive, strategic project to sustainably improve breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management in Vietnam.”

For many years, only 30 per cent of breast cancer patients were diagnosed in the early stages of the disease due to limited public awareness. As such, one of the goals of the project has been to raise public awareness to increase early breast cancer detection rates among high-risk women. This has been carried out through the 'We Care for HER' and 'Joining Hands for HER' campaigns since 2013. Data from Hanoi's K Hospital showed that the proportion of breast cancer patients diagnosed at an early stage has increased to more than 75 per cent as of the end of last year.

This result was achieved thanks to the significant contribution of the awareness-raising campaigns. The project has attracted hundreds of people to launch ceremonies for breast cancer prevention month, over 100 news stories and articles in newspapers, as well as 120 posts on Facebook.

The Bright Future Fund has organised doctor consultations and patient forums, developed a specific area for breast cancer awareness on the National Cancer Institute's website, and conducted free screenings for over 6,000 women in hospitals and community centres across the country.

A significant number of medical staff have been provided training on multidisciplinary treatment and clinical research at five key hospitals - Vietnam National Cancer Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi Oncology Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, and Cho Ray Hospital - which has contributed to a measurable improvement in the quality of service delivered to patients.

To improve access to innovative therapies for breast cancer patients, the Vietnam Health Economics Association, along with experts from Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Hanoi University of Public Health, and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute, has completed several research projects, including an overview of breast cancer screening and treatment payment policies in different countries, as well as an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of some breast cancer treatment drugs.

Based on the results of that research, the VMA and the Bright Future Fund have sent a letter to the Ministry of Health proposing research on health insurance payment plans for breast cancer screening of high-risk people, as well as health insurance contributions for some breast cancer treatment drugs to ease the financial burden on patients.

Roche Pharma Vietnam has implemented a patient support programme for breast cancer patients in 18 hospitals. As of last December, more than 430 patients have benefited from this, with Roche contributing more than value VND67 billion ($2.7 million) to the scheme.

Lennor Carrillo, general manager of Roche Pharma Vietnam

An important objective of the project is to build a database for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Two studies have been completed, one on the epidemiological map of cancer diseases and cost assessment of cancer treatment solutions and one on the epidemiological characteristics and treatment costs of breast cancer in Vietnam.

The National Cancer Institute has developed a set of criteria for breast cancer registration. A report on breast cancer registration activities at hospitals has also been conducted across six hospitals. When the indicators within the criteria set are used to register cancer directly on the information system of the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Security, data can be extracted quickly and accurately, reducing the need for manual collection and making an important contribution to cancer management and prediction in Vietnam.

Roche commitment to improving women’s cancer care Lennor Carrillo, general director of Roche Pharma Vietnam, and Dr. Qadeer Raza, general manager of Roche Vietnam (Diagnostics), spoke with VIR's Thanh Van about the latest report of women's cancer and reiterated their commitment to women’s cancer care with their combined strength of diagnostics and pharmaceuticals.

Bright Future Fund and Roche launch 2023 breast cancer awareness campaign On October 19, the Bright Future Fund, in collaboration with Roche Pharma Vietnam, celebrated the kick-off event for "Joining hands for the women I love" campaign 2023 to raise awareness about breast cancer and improve women’s health.

Roche's decade-long commitment to improving women's health in Vietnam For Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Vietnamese Women's Day, Lennor Carrillo, general director of Roche Pharma Vietnam spoke with VIR's Thanh Van on Roche's 10 years of partnership for a healthier future for women, focusing on breast cancer care and raising awareness through free screenings and informative programmes.