What can be done to detect breast cancer early?

On the sidelines of the scientific conference themed "Updating Knowledge in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer" organized by Vinmec Times City International General Hospital, Dr. Nguyen Thu Huong - Director of the Breast Pathology Unit, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital; and professional advisor to the Vietnam Breast Cancer Network, shared that the number of breast cancer cases in Vietnam is increasing, and many cases come to the hospital for treatment late.

"I have treated cases of breast cancer that arrived at the hospital at a late stage. At that time, the patient had bleeding from one nipple, swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, and even metastasis. For these cases, treatment is less effective."

We recommend that even without any symptoms, women aged 40 and over should undergo breast cancer screening and examination. Screening should include mammograms even in cases without symptoms or palpable lumps. This should be done annually as part of a routine health check-up. Dr. Nguyen Thu Huong provided the information.

According to experts, breast cancer is the leading cancer among women. Globally, approximately 2 million new cases are diagnosed each year, and around 600.000 people die from it. In Vietnam, according to statistics from the Global Cancer Organization (Globocan), breast cancer accounts for 25% of all cancers in women annually, with nearly 22.000 new cases and over 9.000 deaths.

The survival rate after 5-10 years of early detection and treatment is very high, reaching 95-99%. However, if detected late, when cancer has metastasized to the brain, bones, liver, etc., the survival rate after 5-10 years is only about 30%. Therefore, the role of early diagnostic methods is very important.

At the conference, experts presented 13 in-depth papers on methods for diagnosing, early intervention, and treating breast cancer, with notable clinical value being X-ray-guided breast lesion biopsy and intraoperative sentinel lymph node scintigraphy.

These are sophisticated techniques being applied at the Breast Pathology Unit, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital, to help detect abnormalities related to breast cancer early, allowing for timely intervention and high treatment effectiveness for patients.

In diagnostic procedures, some breast lesions are completely invisible on ultrasound and can only be detected through X-ray imaging, requiring X-ray-guided biopsy for the most accurate results.

This technique will help in the early and accurate diagnosis of many particularly difficult cases, such as in patients with breast implants, cases with very thin breasts, or cases with very small clusters of microcalcifications as small as 2mm.

In terms of treatment, intraoperative lymph node scintigraphy is also a new, advanced technique that offers significant benefits to patients.

Sentinel lymph nodes are the first lymph nodes, or a group of lymph nodes, where cancer cells appear before spreading to other nodes. With this technique, doctors can accurately identify the location of the sentinel lymph node for surgical removal, helping patients avoid unnecessary lymph node dissection and minimizing complications such as sensory disturbances, hand swelling, and cosmetic issues.

Professor, Doctor Dao Thu Ha - Head of the Breast Imaging Unit, Henri Mondo Hospital (Republic of France) said: "The application of advanced techniques in breast cancer diagnosis and intervention will help patients achieve positive and promising treatment outcomes right here in Vietnam without having to go abroad."

In addition to updating their knowledge on new methods, within the framework of the conference, participating doctors directly practiced on models several interventional techniques under ultrasound guidance (fine-needle aspiration cytology, core needle and large-needle breast lesion biopsy) and X-ray guidance (wire needle placement, large-needle breast lesion biopsy).

"Based on practical results as well as reports and discussions at the conference, we have reason to believe that the level of early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Vietnam is approaching the trend in countries with developed medical systems such as France or South Korea, giving patients a better chance of receiving treatment and ensuring a higher quality of life.""Dr. Nguyen Thu Huong, Director of the Breast Pathology Unit at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital and professional advisor for the Vietnam Breast Cancer Network, said."