A program to screen women for cervical cancer using AI has been launched in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Community organisation Ho Chi Minh City Public Health Association (HPHA) partnered with listed Australian company TruScreen and its local distributor Gorton Health Services to run the community-based program, which aims to screen 260,000 women in the city over five years.
The partnership follows the signing of their initial memorandum of understanding in November.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The program will utilise TruScreen’s cervical cancer screening device, which is powered by AI and has shown comparable accuracy to HPV DNA tests and liquid-based cytology.
HPHA will hold screenings for women aged between 30 and 49 at the gynaecology clinics of the District Health Centres and private clinics while collecting epidemiological data on cervical cancer and pre-cancer. Tu Du Hospital, Hung Vuong Hospital, and Ung Buou Hospital will reportedly provide technical support.
There is also a plan to expand the program to other provinces across Vietnam after the Ho Chi Minh City pilot.
WHY IT MATTERS
Around 4,000 Vietnamese women get diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, with around half dying. Given this significant burden, the Vietnamese government had set a goal of screening 60% of women aged 30-54 for cervical cancer, or an addressable population of 36 million. However, only a quarter of them have been screened over the past five years. Meanwhile, HPV vaccination is yet to be included in Vietnam’s national immunisation schedule; the free administration of HPV vaccines will only start in 2026.
The HPHA chose TruScreen’s non-invasive AI-powered solution to address the need for early, rapid cervical cancer detection in large populations without costly cytology or laboratory infrastructure.
“This HPHA screening program will also serve as an important reference site for neighbouring countries who may be considering a similar large-scale screening program to improve women’s health,” added TruScreen CEO Marty Dillon.
THE LARGER TREND
Last year, Fujifilm opened in Vietnam its first cancer-focused health screening centre in Southeast Asia. The NURA centre, run by Vietnam Japan Health Technology, also leverages AI to support cancer and lifestyle disease screening.
Besides Vietnam, China is another Asian country that utilises AI in cervical cancer screening. In 2019, the China Maternal and Child Health Care Association and Wuhan University introduced an AI and cloud-based diagnostic platform to assist with the country’s expanded cervical cancer screening coverage.
In other related news, a new AI-driven cervical cancer diagnostic system was granted regulatory approval in the United States. Last year, Hologic received the US Food and Drug Administration’s clearance for its digital cytology system, which integrates deep learning and advanced volumetric imaging technology to detect pre-cancerous lesions and cervical cancer cells. This diagnostic tool has also been made available in Australia and New Zealand.
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