Colorectal surgeons from ASEAN countries as well as from Japan and Korea share practical experiences at the 11th ASEAN Society of Colorectal Surgeons (ASCS) meeting held in HCM City. — VNS Photo Thu Hằng

HCM CITY — More than 300 domestic and foreign colorectal surgeons are sharing practical experiences and cutting edge techniques of colorectal surgery at the 11th ASEAN Society of Colorectal Surgeons (ASCS) meeting in HCM City.

The three-day ASCS meeting, ended on Saturday, hosted by Chợ Rẫy Hospital also provides updating on managing colorectal and anal diseases and forging stronger collaborations in order to achieve the best treatment outcomes for patients. 

Talks were delivered by speakers from ASEAN countries as well as from Japan and Korea during the event.

Nearly 50 topics were discussed, including colorectal diseases, colorectal cancers, hemorrhoids, pelvic floor disorders, and cancer treatment.

Dr. Lâm Việt Trung, deputy director of Chợ Rẫy Hospital and the congress chairman, said colorectal cancer was the fifth most common of all cancers and the second most common cancer of the gastrointestinal tract cancers in Việt Nam.

In Việt Nam, around 16,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed a year, Trung said.

Doctors at Chợ Rẫy Hospital perform surgeries for 1,200 patients with colorectal cancer a year, he said.

A national screening programme for colorectal cancer is not available in the country, hindering early detection. Most of patients visit hospitals at advanced stages.

Laproscopic colorectal surgery, which has become the standard treatment in the country, can be performed at most province-level hospitals, he said. — VNS