Roche Pharma Vietnam and the University Medical Centre of HCM City will work together to improve cancer management and treatment as part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed on July 13.

The cooperation aims to improve the professional capacity of the hospital's medical staff in diagnosis, treatment, and care for cancer patients and strengthen cooperation with domestic and foreign oncology organisations and experts in the field of oncology.

It will also carry out activities for the benefit of patients and the community, such as implementing patient and community-oriented activities, developing and implementing the liver cancer project (2022-2024), and researching to collect data for treatment and patient care.

The event marks a comprehensive partnership between the two sides to enable cancer patients to access advanced therapies.

"We hope that the cooperation between the hospital and Roche Pharma Vietnam will help improve the functions of cancer patients, bring treatment efficiency, and create many benefits for patients. To facilitate the goal, the parties need to closely coordinate, develop in-depth expertise, continuously improve the diagnostic and treatment capacity of medical staff, and at the same time have many scientific projects and research to lay the basis for a master plan in the future," said Prof. Truong Quang Binh, Deputy Director of the University Medical Centre.

Lennor Carrillo, General Director of Roche Pharma Vietnam, said: "As a global pioneer in the pharmaceutical industry, Roche strives to give cancer patients more opportunities to access advanced therapies, easing the financial burden on patients, their families, the medical industry and society. The expansion of cooperation with leading hospital partners across the country, including HCMC University Medical Centre, is of positive significance to improving the healthcare system, strengthening medical examination and treatment capacity for medical staff in oncology as well as improving patients' quality of life."

According to Globocan 2020 data, Viet Nam's rank in new cancer incidence rates has increased by nine places to 90th out of 185 countries as the number of new cases rose from 165,000 in 2018 to 182,000 in 2020.

In Viet Nam, the five most common cancers in 2020 include liver cancer (14.5 per cent), breast cancer (11.8 per cent), stomach cancer (9.8 per cent), and colorectal cancer (8.6 per cent). — VNS