The raising awareness about breast cancer: Proactive and enhanced early detection
On October 23, 2026, the APPISx Conference “Breast Cancer – Understanding to Love” was held in Hanoi, in response to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, jointly organised by the Vietnam Women's Union and Novartis Vietnam Co., Ltd. The event aimed to evaluate the results of past communication collaborations and identify priorities in raising awareness, providing health education, and supporting women's access to information and services related to breast cancer care in Vietnam.
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The conference brought together representatives from health management agencies, medical experts, women's organisations, and the patient community to exchange ideas on information needs throughout the patient's journey, from recognising suspicious signs, examination, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up. It was also an opportunity to share initial experiences from the collaborative project between the Vietnam Women's Union and Novartis Vietnam, aiming to promote women's proactive healthcare, early disease detection, and improved quality of life.
At the conference, the Vietnam Women's Union and Novartis Vietnam signed a cooperation agreement to continue implementing the project “Raising awareness of women's health and preventing and controlling breast cancer in Vietnam in the period 2027–2028”. The program focuses on raising awareness about breast health, educating patients, and strengthening coordination among stakeholders to help address gaps in breast cancer care in Vietnam.
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| Signing of the cooperation agreement. (Source: Sunny Vietnam) |
Breast cancer and the need for enhanced early detection
According to GLOBOCAN data from 2024, Vietnam recorded approximately 25,711 new cases of breast cancer, accounting for 28.1% of all new cancer cases in women. Breast cancer is currently the most common type of cancer among Vietnamese women.
Notably, late-stage detection remains a major challenge. According to a study published in the journal Cancer Control, approximately 50% of breast cancer patients are diagnosed in stages III and IV. This fact highlights the need to raise public awareness, helping women recognise abnormal signs, proactively seek medical advice, and access appropriate services.
Associate Professor Pham Thanh Binh, President of the Vietnam Health Promotion Consulting Association, emphasised the role of health education in supporting women to proactively protect their own health. According to her, breast cancer is not only a professional issue for the medical field but also a public health issue, linked to women's quality of life, family happiness, and the sustainable development of society. Behind every diagnosis is a person with their own worries, needs, and circumstances; in addition to the patient, there are family members and loved ones who need appropriate information and support. Therefore, raising awareness about breast cancer must go hand in hand with understanding, respect, and accompanying patients throughout their care journey.
In addition to providing knowledge about breast health, communication efforts should focus on supporting patients in accessing reliable information during treatment, raising awareness about treatment adherence and the risk of recurrence, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. The support of family, community, women's organisations, and patient organisations also helps patients reduce stigma and gain more motivation in their healthcare journey.
At the conference, Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Deputy Head of Internal Medicine Department 6, K Hospital Tan Trieu branch (Hanoi), warned about the impact of misinformation on cancer patients. According to Dr. Hoa, social media still features advice against surgery and advertisements for unproven cancer treatments such as alkaline water, coffee, or lemon. This content affects patients' psychology, causing them to waver in their treatment decisions.
Disseminate accurate, easily understandable, and accessible information
The Vietnam Women's Union and Novartis Vietnam began their strategic partnership in 2024. Over the past two years, the two sides have conducted numerous communication activities to assess awareness gaps and promote breast health-care behaviours in the community.
Notably, a nationwide survey on awareness and habits regarding regular breast cancer screening attracted over 24,000 participants, including healthy women and breast cancer patients. The survey results provide a basis for further consideration of information needs and the direction of communication activities to better suit different target groups.
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| Delegates participating in the seminar. (Source: Sunny Vietnam) |
The two sides also launched the “Breast Cancer – Understanding to Love” communication channel on Facebook, and developed a series of community communication materials on breast health care, early detection, treatment adherence, awareness of recurrence risk, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The content, with professional support from hospitals, was disseminated through more than 40 media channels belonging to the Vietnam Women's Union, provincial and city Women's Unions, patient organisations, and the Vietnam Women's Newspaper, attracting millions of views, thousands of interactions, and hundreds of shares.
At the conference, Ms Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union, emphasised that women need access to accurate, easily understandable information relevant to their circumstances so they can proactively take care of their health, recognise abnormal signs, and seek medical attention promptly. The grassroots network of the Women's Union plays a crucial role in listening to needs, providing reliable information to the community, and connecting women with patient organisations.
Mr. Jondy Syjuco, General Director of Novartis Vietnam, affirmed the commitment to collaborating with partners to bridge the gap in health awareness and education, support women in accessing reliable information, and help patients understand and adhere to their treatment process.
Towards sustainable cooperation in the period 2027–2028
During the 2027–2028 period, the program is expected to continue expanding the “Breast Cancer – Understanding to Love” project, strengthening participation from healthcare facilities nationwide and organising patient participation in community education. The planned collaborations will focus on providing knowledge about healthcare, prevention, and early detection of breast cancer; encouraging women to maintain healthy lifestyles and undergo regular health checkups; counselling and supporting patients in adhering to treatment, reducing stigma, and strengthening community connections.
The parties also plan to hold dialogue forums with health experts and policymakers to exchange views on challenges, needs, and solutions in breast cancer prevention and control. The application of technology, artificial intelligence, and social media is being considered as an approach to developing scientifically based, understandable, and accessible media content while also addressing the needs of those with limited digital skills.
The continued collaboration between the Vietnam Women's Union and Novartis Vietnam demonstrates an effort to mobilise multi-stakeholder participation in raising awareness about breast cancer. Through this program, we aim to build a reliable information environment, encourage women to proactively manage their health, and help improve the quality of care and support for breast cancer patients in Vietnam.
