Up to 12% of Vietnam’s cancer deaths occur in Ho Chi Minh City

The information was shared at the 2025 conference on the expansion of cancer registry activities, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) in collaboration with the Oncology Hospital and under the supervision of the city's Department of Health.

The event was meant to review the implementation of cancer registry programs from 2021 to 2024, share experience, identify challenges, and propose solutions for expanding cancer and mortality data collection in the coming years.

According to estimates from the World Health Organization's GLOBOCAN 2022 database, Vietnam records around 180,480 new cancer cases and 120,184 deaths annually, with liver, lung, and stomach cancers responsible for most fatalities.

Ho Chi Minh City alone accounts for 10–12 percent of these deaths, reflecting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the metropolis.

Data presented at the conference showed that the city's cancer profile has shifted from infection-related cancers, including liver and cervical cancers, to those associated with lifestyle and aging, including breast, colorectal, thyroid, and prostate cancers.

From 2019 to 2024, the city's cancer registry system collected more than 1.3 million patient records from 40 hospitals, with 35 percent containing histopathological results and 21 percent having staging information — marking significant progress in data standardization and management.

At the same time, the city has strengthened its mortality registration system by compiling death data from community health stations, local civil status databases, and hospital reports.

These datasets help track mortality trends by cause, gender, age, and location, providing a scientific foundation for assessing disease burden and formulating evidence-based health policies.

However, challenges remain in ensuring data connectivity and quality, which require continued efforts toward standardization and integration.

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, deputy director of the health department, emphasized that cancer registration provides a vital foundation for assessing epidemiological trends, shaping health policies, and monitoring the effectiveness of non-communicable disease prevention programs.

He said the city should continue to play a leading role in standardizing and expanding cancer registry systems to neighboring localities.

From 2025 to 2030, the department will collaborate with HCDC and the Oncology Hospital to expand cancer and mortality data collection across newly merged localities, with the goal of establishing a regional cancer–mortality database for the southern key economic zone.

These efforts are expected to strengthen cancer surveillance, early detection, and treatment capacity, while improving public health management and reducing the burden of disease and death among the city's residents.