Vietnam’s cancer cases nearly double in over a decade
Cancer is rising at a pace Vietnam’s health system cannot ignore, with new cases having nearly doubled in just over ten years, from 92,000 in 2010 to more than 180,000 today.
Most patients are still being diagnosed late, when treatment becomes costlier and far less effective.
Globocan forecasts that by 2045, new cases could climb another 45%.
At a workshop on cancer-registration capacity on Nov. 15, Vo Duc Hieu, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital which serves as the top cancer center for southern and south-central Vietnam, said the surge reflects demographic change and lifestyle risks. As more Vietnamese enter the 50–60 age range, age-related cancer risk rises sharply.
Lifestyle shifts are adding fuel to the trend. Smoking, heavy drinking, sedentary habits, obesity and diets high in red meat and processed foods have pushed up rates of colorectal, breast, liver, pancreatic and esophageal cancers.
Environmental and occupational exposure compounds the problem. Air pollution, contaminated water, agricultural chemicals and workplace contact with solvents or heavy metals are closely linked to lung, liver, bladder and blood cancers.
Screening rates remain low nationwide. Many people only seek care when symptoms appear late, and screening for cervical, breast, colorectal, or liver cancer remains below recommended levels.
HCMC’s Department of Health says Vietnam is entering a rapid aging phase, making prevention, environmental control, lifestyle education and expanded screening critical for the next 20–30 years.
The growing number of cases, along with rising treatment costs, also highlights the need for accurate cancer-registry data. The Oncology Hospital and CDC are now tasked with updating cancer cases and extending the registry network to nearby provinces. These datasets support national policy, local screening programs and international systems like Globocan.
Reliable registry data help track cancer burden by sex, age and cancer type; identify high-risk groups; assess interventions like HPV vaccination or anti-smoking campaigns; and forecast future staffing and equipment needs. But data quality remains uneven, as some hospitals rely on non-medical staff to extract medical records, leading to coding or formatting errors.
Health officials say Vietnam needs a multi-front strategy: stronger screening programs, widespread education on healthy lifestyles, tighter environmental controls, expanded vaccinations and improved early detection. Oncology hospitals must also upgrade diagnostic and treatment capacity through workforce training, multimodal care, telemedicine and long-term infrastructure investment.
Palliative care, psychological support and rehabilitation from the time of diagnosis will be increasingly important. Ensuring health-insurance coverage for modern treatment regimens is another key step.
By Le Phuong – VnExpress.net – November 18, 2025