Thyroid cancer diagnoses rising in Vietnam: doctors

Thyroid cancer accounts for roughly 90 percent of malignancies affecting the endocrine system. 

Physicians at the National Cancer Hospital in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital said more patients are being diagnosed each year, a trend also seen globally.

Nguyen Xuan Quy, head of head and neck surgery at the National Cancer Hospital, said expanded screening, earlier detection, and improved reporting have contributed to higher case numbers.

Duong Minh Tuan, an endocrinologist at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, said population aging is another key factor, as cancer risk rises with age. 

Lifestyle and environmental factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, air pollution, and chronic viral infections, also increase the risk.

Doctors highlighted that many newly detected thyroid cancers are small, slow-growing tumors that may never cause symptoms. 

Early detection allows for better treatment outcomes, while larger, aggressive tumors carry higher surgical risks.

"Improved detection does not necessarily mean the disease is becoming more dangerous," Tuan said, urging screening to follow clinical guidance rather than public anxiety.

Physicians emphasized that prevention through healthy living, balanced diet, vaccinations against hepatitis B and HPV, and targeted screening remains critical.