In this context, the South East Asia Breast Cancer Symposium has just been held in Huế Central Hospital. The World Health Organisation along with health experts from 15 countries in the region and around the world provided the latest knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer at the conference.
This sentry ganglion technique is a surgical procedure used to locate the sentry ganglion for extraction, analysis and testing for the presence of cancer cells so that doctors can determine the exact stage of cancer. It is considered as a significant moment in the early detection of breast cancer.
Apart from this, many other techniques including breast-conserving surgery; breast reconstruction; or breastcancer treatment by hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and biological target therapies were also highlighted at the South East Asia Breast Cancer Symposium.
Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, Head of Organising Committee, Southeast Asia Breast Cancer Symposium said: "One of the most significant advances have been the ability to detect cancer via the application of genetic technology. We’ve also made progress on targeted cancer therapies, which are drugs that interfere with specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth and survival".
At the symposium, experts underlined the importance of raising awareness about breast cancer, psychological counselling to patients during treatment, and improving the quality of life for patients post-treatment.
Breast cancer is the most common disease and the leading cause of death for women in Southeast Asia. According to the experts, if detected at an early stage, 90% of breast cancer cases are treatable, however, if diagnosed at a later stage, the death rate is over 60%.
Prof. Ophira Ginsburg, Representative of World Health Organization said: "It's necessary to enhance early detection of cancer, but unfortunately, patients in Southeast Asia often carry out treatment in the very late stage, so the death rates are so high. This is a matter of perception".
The World Health Organisation and experts also recommended that although breast cancer is more and more increasing, many South East Asian countries have not focused on early detection or improving the quality of life for patients post-treatment.
