Instead of going to Singapore to treat lung cancer, Mr. Ngo Tuan, 60 years old, businessman, decided to stay in Vietnam for treatment. Two years later, the tumor size decreased by 80%.
Over the past two years, Mr. Tuan has been treated at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi with new generation immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. Up to now, he has undergone many rounds of medication, the tumor size has decreased by 70-80%, the mediastinal lymph nodes have completely responded, so he has no cough and can eat and drink well. Evaluating this result, Master, Doctor Tran Ngoc Hai, Oncology Department, directly treating Mr. Tuan, said: “The patient responded very well to immunotherapy.” The patient shared: “I was lucky to decide to stay in Vietnam for treatment.”
Mr. Tuan had initial symptoms of coughing up blood, fatigue, and slight weight loss. He went to Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi for examination. The results of a computed tomography scan showed a tumor on the right lung, 3×4 cm in size. Dr. Hai diagnosed Mr. Tuan with stage 3C non-small cell lung cancer, with a poor prognosis. If not treated, his life expectancy is only about one year.
Family members suggested going to Singapore for medical treatment because the medical services were better, Mr. Tuan was wondering whether to “go or stay”. Knowing this, Dr. Hai advised him to feel secure in receiving treatment in Vietnam because the regimen is standard according to international clinical treatment guidelines, with a full range of new drugs and technologies for lung cancer treatment. At the same time, with domestic treatment, patients can be close to relatives and have spiritual support. This is a factor that contributes to improving treatment effectiveness.
At a follow-up examination on November 26, Mr. Tuan was relieved with the “good response” results, saying that his total medical treatment costs in the country were 10-20% compared to the initial quote from the hospital in Singapore.
As for Mr. Nguyen Minh Chien, 63 years old, stage two non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in February 2022 went to Singapore for examination and then returned to Vietnam to Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi for further reference. As a result, Dr. Tam Anh proposed a treatment regimen that completely matched that of the hospital in Singapore, including monoclonal antibodies combined with chemotherapy. Mr. Chien chose to be treated in the country. Now, after two years, the PET CT scan results show that the lymphoma has completely dissolved, he lives healthy, with almost no side effects. His total costs were about 10% of the estimated Singapore hospital costs.
Mr. Chien’s PET CT scan results after 2 years of treatment showed that the lymph nodes were completely dissolved. Image: Tam Anh General Hospital
Dr. Vu Huu Khiem, Head of Oncology Department at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, said that among cancer patients coming for examination at the department, about 10-20% of patients have the conditions to go abroad, most part of the middle and upper classes. They have the mentality that Vietnamese hospitals are crowded, crowded, difficult for doctors to advise thoroughly, and the quality of medical services is not good, while cancer patients need comprehensive health care and support. and psychology.
“The patient’s choice needs to be respected, but the doctor should advise and clearly explain the pros and cons of treatment abroad,” Dr. Khiem said, adding that many problems arise when going abroad. such as high costs, inconvenience when traveling, complicated procedures, and language barriers. In case the patient needs long-term treatment, finances can become a burden. Meanwhile, the level of doctors and cancer treatment technology in Vietnam is not inferior to that of developed medical countries.
In order to retain patients receiving medical treatment in the country, the Ministry of Health is developing a project High quality medical examination and treatment attracts foreigners and people who can afford medical examination and treatment in Vietnam. The project aims to improve clinical quality, medical services and infrastructure in Vietnam, aiming to attract foreigners, overseas Vietnamese and high-income Vietnamese to be treated at domestic hospitals.
In fact, many hospitals in Vietnam today invest in advanced technology and treatment machinery such as applying artificial intelligence in endoscopy, 1950-scan computed tomography and moving towards unlimited tomography, applying Using robots in surgery, vascular intervention, multi-generation immune drugs, targeted drugs…
According to Dr. Khiem, treatment costs in Vietnam are much cheaper than abroad. Many groups of immune drugs and new generation target drugs sponsored by drug companies can be reduced by up to 50% compared to the original price.
Doctor Khiem inquired about the health of patients treated at the Oncology Department. Illustration photo: Tam Anh General Hospital
Understanding the medical, psychological, and lifestyle characteristics of Vietnamese people, without language barriers, doctors can give more appropriate advice on lifestyle and activities for patients, support the treatment process, Doctor Khiem said.
According to the Ministry of Health, statistics from many years ago showed that Vietnamese people spend about 2 billion USD each year abroad for medical examination and treatment, this number may increase to 3-4 billion USD in the near future.
World Data Lab predicts that by 2024, Vietnam will have an additional 4 million people joining the middle class and by 2030 there will be an additional 23.2 million people. Along with this trend, the need for high quality medical services is increasing.