Immunotherapy – A Revolution in Cancer Treatment

On August 2, the 2nd Annual Cancer Immunotherapy Conference 2025 was held at the auditorium of Tam Anh Medical Research Institute (TAMRI), gathering leading experts both domestically and internationally.

In his opening remarks, Nguyen Tri Thuc, Distinguished Physician, PhD, MD, Deputy Minister of Health, stated:

“The 2nd Annual Immunotherapy Conference 2025 serves as a forum to share the latest scientific reports from major cancer centers nationwide, presented by top national and international experts. It acts as a knowledge bridge between Vietnam and developed countries through expert exchanges, technology transfer, gradually integrating with the global cancer immunotherapy community.”

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Tri Thuc delivers the opening speech. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

Cancer immunotherapy represents one of the most significant advances in modern medicine and has been successfully applied in many countries worldwide. The emergence of immunotherapy combined with cutting-edge molecular biology technologies such as next-generation genome sequencing and gene mutation analysis has sparked a revolution in cancer treatment.

This approach has proven especially effective for patients who do not respond to conventional therapies, or can be applied as a first-line treatment to enhance therapeutic outcomes.

Hundreds of leading urology experts attended the 2nd Annual Cancer Immunotherapy Conference 2025. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

The conference featured six sessions with over 50 scientific presentations. Experts from international organizations and prestigious hospitals such as the National Cancer Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, Tam Anh General Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Dan Hospital, Pasteur Institute, and the Drug Testing Institute shared insights and engaged in discussions on key issues related to cancer immunotherapy, molecular biology, vaccines, cellular immunotherapy, and cancer stem cells, among others.

Professor Mai Trong Khoa, Former Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Cancer Immunotherapy Association, presented on advances in immunotherapy such as the role of Theranostics in cancer — a cutting-edge approach to precision diagnosis and targeted therapy. Theranostics is a contemporary medical trend that identifies specific target cells and molecules (receptors) unique to each patient, enabling clinicians to deliver patient-specific treatments, evaluate early therapeutic response, and prevent complications. This approach is effective for patients with recurrent metastatic cancer that has become resistant to previous treatments.

A presenter shares insights at the conference. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital

In the vaccine field, Dr. Do Tuan Dat, Consultant and Chairman of the Vaccine Subcommittee, discussed current technologies used in the development of cancer vaccines, capturing strong interest from delegates. Research trends in therapeutic cancer vaccines that introduce tumor-specific antigens into the body to stimulate anti-tumor immunity are expected to offer convenience and high efficacy for cancer patients.

Vu Huu Khiem, PhD, MD, Head of Oncology Department at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, shared insights into using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for monitoring and immune markers (TMB, MSI-H) for personalized colorectal cancer treatment.

Dr. Khiem highlighted that colorectal cancer is among the most common and fatal cancers in Vietnam. Treatment typically involves a combination of radical surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. ctDNA analysis offers advantages such as ease of execution, repeatability, and ability to reflect tumor mutations. Assessing minimal residual disease (MRD) and ctDNA dynamics aids in early relapse prediction, treatment decisions, and effective colorectal cancer monitoring.

Throughout the conference sessions, experts actively exchanged insights on reports addressing advances and challenges in CAR-T cell production; multidimensional advances in liver, biliary, and pancreatic cancer management in Vietnam; the application of next-generation genome sequencing to comprehensively evaluate tumor biomarkers supporting immunotherapy, among others.

Delegates take commemorative photos celebrating the conference’s success. Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital.

The Deputy Minister of Health evaluated these topics as very necessary, timely, and aligned with the Ministry of Health’s strategic direction amid current technological development, innovation, and creativity aimed at better disease prevention, treatment, and public health care. Particularly, the topics align well with Resolution 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation; and Resolution 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025, on international integration in the new era.

Tam Anh Research Institute and the Tam Anh General Hospital system continue to take the lead, collaborate on research, and organize advanced healthcare development activities, applying global medical achievements to Vietnam. These efforts contribute significantly to enhancing the quality of healthcare and medical treatment for the Vietnamese people.