Vice Minister of Health, Chairman of the Bright Future Fund Nguyen Thi Xuyen hands over gifts to cancer patients in Ha Noi. — Photo ngaymaituoisang.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will benefit from a Patient Assistance Programme which has been officially launched since this week in the capital city of Ha Noi.

Organized and managed by supportive funds from the Cancer Patients – Bright Future, a member of Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and a sponsorship from Bayer South East Asia Pte Ltd, the programme is approved by Decision 5316/QD-BYT of the Ministry of Health.

The Programme will be implemented in two stages: first at four hospitals i.e. K Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, Medical University Center and Cho Ray Hospital, then expanded to more hospitals and medical centers nationwide in the second stage.

It aims at helping Vietnamese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma or advanced renal cell carcinoma get better access to innovative cancer treatments.

Under the programme, patients who are diagnosed with HCC and RCC, and are prescribed with the oral cancer drug approved by the by the Ministry of Health, will be funded for the drug treatment at every second treatment cycle.

"It is estimated that there are almost 22,000 new cases of liver cancer every year in Vietnam.

This brings upon enormous challenges and burdens to the national health care system as well as to patients themselves," said Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Director of Bright Future Fund. "Hence, Bright Future Fund and Bayer SEA have worked together to bring this Program to help local patients in their battles against cancers."

"The programme offers practical support for patients to reduce the cost of treatment, helping them to follow recommended doses of the cancer drug to optimize efficacy." said Nguyen Dinh Song Huy, Head of Oncology Department, Deputy Head of Cho Ray Hospital.

Huy said that his hospital has almost 3,000-3,500 new cases of liver cancer each year.

"Unfortunately there are more and more patients who discover their disease at advanced stages when only targeted therapy with oral target therapy is recommended if their liver function is still good.

This therapy has proven to prolong survival if patients have positive drug tolerability."

Each year globally there are 782,000 new cases of liver cancer and 746,000 related deaths and HCC represents more than 90 per cent of liver cancers.

Recently Viet Nam has been ranked fifth globally among the countries with the highest incidence of liver cancer for both sexes.

 "As the leader for HCC systemic treatment, Bayer is honored to collaborate with Bright Future Fund and hospitals in this Patient Assistance Program to support patients in Vietnam who are suffering from HCC or advanced RCC.

Through this initiative, we aim to provide local patients with better access to the innovative cancer treatment," shared Lynette Moey, Chief Representative of Bayer SEA Office in HCM City.