The number of cancer cases in Viet Nam has risen steadily since 1998, with 100,000-150,000 new patients and 70,000 deaths caused by the disease annually, according to figures a research group from the 175 Military Hospital released at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday.

New cancer cases have gone up especially fast recently, as the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital has diagnosed 13,000 new cases just in the first five months of the year, said Dang Huy Quoc Thinh, deputy director of the infirmary.

In 1998, 70,000 new cases of cancer were recorded in Viet Nam, a figure which surged 114.3 percent to over 150,000 in 2012, according to GLOBOCAN, which is under the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer, a specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization.

many cancer patients having to share one bed at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, one of the top medical treatment facilities for the disease in the southern region.

There are many reasons why new cancer cases have increased in recent times, Thinh said, further explaining that the number of people who smoke heavily and/or drink alcohol frequently in Viet Nam remains high, along with many new incidents of food containing harmful chemicals and worsening environmental pollution in many areas of the country.

According to research released by the Union for International Cancer Control at a conference in Australia in 2014, as many as 30-50 percent of all cancers are related to eating and drinking habits, particularly in developing countries, he added.

Drinking too much beer, eating moldy food or eating fried or grilled dishes with fatty oil may pose carcinogenic risks, he said.

Besides, the uncontrollable issue of food hygiene in Viet Nam, including food containing toxic chemicals which will affect health for generations, will not only cause cancer but many other diseases.

In recent years, the problem of foods containing toxins or carcinogens has been raised in the mass media, but the issue is still not under control, he said.

Such types of food are sourced from rotting meat dipped into toxic chemicals to make it look and feel fresh, he said.

In addition, eating meals full of dried and salty food also increases the risk of cancer, he added.

Cancer is a disease which can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle, such as not smoking and drinking alcohol and not eating food with high rates of fat, Thinh said.

In addition, people need to exercise and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.

(Source: Tuoitrenews)