The event updates new medical advances, aiming at the goal of completely removing tumors, preserving vital functions and reconstructing aesthetics in head and neck cancer surgery for patients.
Challenges in head and neck cancer surgery
According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), head and neck cancer ranks 7th among the most common cancers worldwide. In Vietnam, the number of people under 40 years old with the disease has doubled in the past 10 years, showing a worrying trend of rejuvenation. The disease can start in many important locations such as the throat, larynx, oral cavity, sinuses, parotid gland, or thyroid gland..., related to vital functions, the nervous system and aesthetics.
This poses a problem with three challenging goals in current head and neck cancer surgery: completely removing the tumor, preserving function, and ensuring aesthetics.
The conference gathered over 150 experts and doctors (Photo: Organizing Committee).
To find the answer, the international conference on October 19, jointly organized by Facing The World, Hanoi Otorhinolaryngology Association and Hong Ngoc - Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital, is an important scientific forum where experts from the UK and Vietnam exchange experiences on advanced techniques in cancer treatment and head and neck reconstruction.
Overview of the international conference on head and neck cancer surgery in Vietnam
The conference included 4 sessions, 12 in-depth reports, attracting more than 150 doctors from the departments of ENT - Head and neck surgery, Oncology and Plastic Surgery. The event was attended by Deputy Director in charge of Hanoi Department of Health Dr. Nguyen Dinh Hung; Chairman of Hanoi ENT Association Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Phuc; Prof. Dr. TTD Le Ngoc Thanh - Rector of University of Medicine and Pharmacy, VNU Hanoi and experts from Vietnam and UK.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Director in charge of the Hanoi Department of Health - Dr. Nguyen Dinh Hung shared: “In recent years, Hanoi has actively cooperated with many international organizations and experts, receiving medical advances and advanced management models. The Hanoi Department of Health encourages and creates conditions for medical facilities to expand cooperation, training, and research, thereby building a modern, humane, and deeply integrated medicine. The conference is of great significance in transferring technology and developing sustainable capacity for the medical team.”
Dr. Nguyen Dinh Hung, Deputy Director in charge of Hanoi Department of Health, spoke at the conference (Photo: Organizing Committee).
Attending the conference, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Phuc, Chairman of the Hanoi Otorhinolaryngology Association, said that head and neck cancer is a complex group of diseases because it is related to essential organs. The disease has the characteristics of rapid progression in the area, wide invasion but little distant metastasis, making treatment difficult and requiring high techniques. Thanks to medical advances, head and neck surgery today not only completely removes tumors but also reconstructs the structure, restores function and aesthetics for the patient.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Phuc, President of Hanoi Otorhinolaryngology Association (Photo: Organizing Committee).
Ms. Katrin Kandel - Executive Director of Facing The World - the conference host said that the challenges of cancer control, preservation of function and aesthetics in head and neck surgery are part of the scientific activities series "Facing The World Series of Conference" implemented in Vietnam.
According to her, the program's goal is to improve the capacity of head and neck surgery and facial deformities through training, technology transfer and international experience exchange, helping domestic doctors have more tools and approaches to complex cases, bringing more sustainable treatment results for patients.
Ms. Katrin Kandel - Executive Director of Facing The World (Photo: BTC).
New advances in head and neck surgery shared at conference
In the first discussion session with the topic “Head and neck cancer”, international experts focused on the challenges in treating malignant tumors in the sinuses, parotid gland and thyroid gland - locations that require sophisticated surgical techniques and in-depth understanding of anatomy.
Dr. Peter Clarke, Chairman of the Department of Laryngology and Rhinology, Royal College of Medicine, UK, presented the topic "Things to consider when facing nasopharyngeal cancer" - a rare disease group with diverse histology and prone to late diagnosis due to symptoms similar to benign sinusitis.
Dr. Peter Clarke - Chairman of the Department of Laryngology and Rhinology, Royal College of Medicine, UK at the conference (Photo: Organizing Committee).
From the Vietnamese side, MSc. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Quang, Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Hong Ngoc - Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital, introduced a comparative study between endoscopic thyroidectomy through the vestibular approach and traditional open surgery. The results showed that the endoscopic technique not only ensures tumor control, is minimally invasive, but also leaves no scars on the skin - a testament to the progress of minimally invasive surgery in Vietnam.
MSc.BSNT. Nguyen Xuan Quang - Head of Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Hong Ngoc at the conference (Photo: Organizing Committee).
Continuing the program, the second session with the theme “Flap reconstruction in head and neck cancer” focused on techniques to reconstruct the defect area after surgery, to restore function and aesthetics for patients. A typical presentation in this session was the report of Dr. Francesco Riva, a maxillofacial surgeon of the British Medical Association, sharing his experience in choosing the appropriate reconstruction flap in cases of partial or total resection of the upper jaw, helping to restore chewing ability and improve facial appearance.
In the afternoon, the program continued with in-depth topics on nerve injury management and cosmetic surgery, including: "Management of facial nerve injury: static or dynamic reconstruction" - Dr. Sarah Al - Himdani (UK); "Open rhinoplasty" - Dr. Florian Bast (UK); "Surgery to correct microtia using autologous rib cartilage" - MSc. Dr. Bui Tuan Anh, Deputy Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, Hong Ngoc General Hospital, ... and many other notable contents.
The conference took place at Hong Ngoc - Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital, a pioneer in international cooperation in training and technology transfer. With the cooperation of Facing The World and the Hanoi Otorhinolaryngology Association, the event became a bridge for professional exchange between British and Vietnamese experts, contributing to improving the capacity of head and neck cancer treatment and aiming at the goal of comprehensive health care for patients.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/nhung-tien-bo-trong-phau-thuat-ung-thu-dau-co-hien-nay-20251019145737790.htm
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