Tan Qiuyi/Channel News Asia
A new study done by the Global Burden of Cancer Study found there was a 123 percent increase in liver cancer in Vietnam from 1990. That means over 23,000 people have been diagnosed in Vietnam. The saddest part is, it is a preventable cancer if caught early enough. In Vietnam, the leading cause is the hepatitis virus, a disease that can infect people and their loved ones without them knowing it.
Hepatitis C Virus, one of the leading causes of liver cancer. (Photo By BSIP/UIG via Getty Images)
Most of the people diagnosed with liver cancer in Vietnam are men, mainly due to their higher rate of alcohol consumption and smoking.
Vietnam introduced vaccinations for newborns in 2003, but doctors say it would take time for the benefits to show. Liver cancer numbers are expected to remain high in Vietnam for the next ten to 15 years unless authorities invest heavily in the life-saving work of hepatitis treatment, monitoring and follow-up.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/preventable-liver-cancer/2074536.html
