Lifestyle Medicine and Cancer in Viet Nam: Prevention, Supportive Care and Survivorship

Lifestyle Medicine and Cancer in Viet Nam: Prevention, Supportive Care and Survivorship

Last reviewed: 23 September 2026

Cancer is one of the areas where Lifestyle Medicine has important potential, but also where its boundaries need to be particularly clear. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, physical inactivity, dietary patterns and some environmental exposures influence the risk of several cancers. At the same time, cancer is not one disease. Genetics, ageing, infections, occupational and environmental exposures, reproductive factors and other biological processes also contribute, often in very different ways across cancer types. At a population level, several modifiable exposures contribute substantially to cancer risk. At an individual level, however, a person's cancer usually cannot be attributed to one behavior or exposure with certainty.

The scale of the challenge in Viet Nam is substantial. The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimated 180,480 new cancer cases and 120,184 cancer deaths in Viet Nam in 2022, with approximately 409,144 people alive who had been diagnosed with cancer within the previous five years. Breast, liver and lung cancer were the three most commonly diagnosed cancers overall, while liver, lung and stomach cancer accounted for the largest numbers of cancer deaths. These are modeled GLOBOCAN estimates rather than a complete national cancer-registry count, but they provide a widely used and internationally comparable picture of the cancer burden. [1]

The World Health Organization's Global Status Report on Cancer 2026 reinforces a broader message. Cancer control needs to extend across the entire continuum, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, supportive and palliative care, and survivorship. Scientific advances do not automatically translate into better or more equitable outcomes unless health systems can deliver them effectively and people can access them. [2]

Lifestyle Medicine belongs within that continuum, but not in place of it. Its most credible role is to help reduce preventable cancer risk, support physical and psychological health during appropriately selected phases of treatment, and address long-term health, function and quality of life after a cancer diagnosis. It should never be presented as an alternative cancer treatment.

Cancer prevention is broader than Lifestyle Medicine

A major global analysis published in 2026 estimated that 37.8% of new cancer cases worldwide in 2022 were attributable to 30 modifiable risk factors, including tobacco, cancer-causing infections, alcohol, high body mass index, insufficient physical activity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and occupational exposures. Tobacco was the largest single contributor, followed by carcinogenic infections and alcohol. These are global estimates and should not simply be applied as a percentage to Viet Nam, but they show how much of the cancer burden may potentially be prevented through a combination of individual, healthcare and population-level action. [3]

Cancer prevention therefore cannot be reduced to the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. Some of the most important interventions are not lifestyle interventions at all. Vaccination against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus, evidence-based cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment of precancerous lesions, control of occupational carcinogens and reduction of environmental exposures all belong within comprehensive cancer prevention. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 10% of cancers diagnosed globally in 2022 were attributable to carcinogenic infections, including Helicobacter pylori, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C viruses and Epstein-Barr virus. [4]

This is particularly relevant to Viet Nam. Liver cancer remains one of the country's most common and lethal cancers, while cervical cancer can largely be prevented through a combination of human papillomavirus vaccination, effective screening and treatment of precancerous disease. In 2026, the World Health Organization issued updated recommendations on the use of human papillomavirus DNA genotyping in cervical screening and subsequently published implementation guidance for human papillomavirus-based screening programs, reinforcing the move toward high-performance, risk-based approaches that can be adapted to health-system capacity. [5] Lifestyle Medicine should therefore be positioned as one component of cancer prevention, not the complete prevention strategy.

Tobacco, alcohol, body weight, physical activity and diet matter, but not in the same way

Few relationships between lifestyle and cancer are as well established as the relationship between tobacco and cancer. Tobacco contributes not only to lung cancer but also to cancers at multiple other sites and remains the largest preventable contributor to cancer globally. [3] This is particularly important in Viet Nam. In the 2021 national STEPS survey, 20.8% of people aged 15 years and older were current smokers, including 41.1% of men and 0.6% of women, illustrating the marked difference in tobacco exposure between men and women. [6]

Smoking prevention and cessation should remain central to both population cancer prevention and clinical care. Tobacco cessation also remains relevant after a cancer diagnosis. Continuing to smoke can adversely affect overall health and may complicate treatment and recovery, while stopping smoking can provide health benefits regardless of how long a person has smoked. Tobacco dependence, however, should not be reduced to the instruction to “stop smoking”. Some people need structured behavioral support and, where clinically appropriate and available, evidence-based pharmacological treatment. Lifestyle Medicine can contribute behavior-change skills, but tobacco-dependence treatment should be provided when indicated.

Alcohol is also an established carcinogen. For cancer prevention, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends that it is best not to drink alcohol because even relatively small amounts can increase the risk of some cancers and there is no threshold below which risk is known to disappear for all alcohol-related cancers. [7] This does not mean alcohol causes every cancer, nor does it mean that stopping alcohol after diagnosis will necessarily change the prognosis of every tumor. The relationship differs by cancer type, level of exposure and clinical outcome.

Excess adiposity is associated with increased risk of several cancers, while regular physical activity is associated with lower risk of some cancers. Contemporary cancer-prevention recommendations also emphasize dietary patterns rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruit and legumes while limiting processed meat, sugar-sweetened drinks, alcohol and foods high in fat, refined starches or added sugars. These recommendations should be understood as patterns across the life course, not as evidence that any single food prevents or cures cancer. [7]

For Viet Nam, healthy eating should also be culturally and economically realistic. Cancer prevention does not require importing a foreign diet or following a rigid menu. Healthy dietary patterns can be built around familiar, locally available foods, including vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains and other minimally processed foods, while reducing highly processed foods, sugary drinks, processed meat and excess alcohol. The focus should be on the overall pattern and what people can sustain over time, rather than presenting any particular Vietnamese or imported food as an “anticancer” food.

The language used with patients matters just as much. Cancer prevention should not become victim blaming. A person who develops cancer despite never smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active has not “failed” at prevention. Likewise, someone with tobacco exposure, obesity or another modifiable risk factor should not be reduced to that risk factor. Cancer has multiple causes, and people's opportunities to eat well, remain active, avoid harmful exposures or obtain preventive care are shaped by social, occupational, commercial and environmental conditions long before they enter a clinic.

Screening and early diagnosis cannot be replaced by a healthy lifestyle

A person can eat well, exercise regularly and avoid tobacco and still develop cancer. Lifestyle Medicine therefore cannot replace evidence-based screening or the timely evaluation of concerning symptoms. Cervical cancer provides one of the clearest examples. Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus causes almost all cervical cancers, and human papillomavirus vaccination combined with appropriate screening and treatment of precancerous disease can prevent most cases. [5]

Similar principles apply more broadly. When screening is recommended according to a person's age, sex, risk profile, family history or other clinical circumstances, healthy lifestyle behaviors are not an alternative to screening. Unexplained weight loss, a new mass, abnormal bleeding, persistent changes in bowel habits, unexplained anemia, persistent cough or other concerning symptoms should not simply be managed through dietary change, supplements or attempts to “boost immunity”. They may require timely medical assessment and diagnostic investigation.

This distinction is particularly important in public communication. Lifestyle Medicine can help reduce cancer risk. It cannot guarantee cancer prevention.

During cancer treatment, the priorities change

A cancer diagnosis changes the context in which lifestyle recommendations are made. The immediate priorities may include treatment effectiveness and safety, nutritional status, treatment tolerance, physical function, symptoms and the patient's own goals. Advice that is appropriate for a generally healthy adult may therefore be inappropriate during chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery or other cancer treatments.

A patient with neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, severe fatigue, bone metastases, neuropathy, an ostomy, swallowing difficulties or substantial weight loss requires individualized assessment rather than a generic Lifestyle Medicine prescription. The American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline on exercise, diet and weight management during active cancer treatment reflects this distinction. In appropriately selected adults, regular aerobic and resistance exercise can improve fatigue, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, physical function and several patient-reported outcomes. At the same time, evidence has been insufficient to recommend specific diets or intentional weight loss during active treatment for cancer-control outcomes such as recurrence or survival. [8]

Physical activity is therefore one of the better-supported lifestyle interventions during and after cancer treatment, but exercise in oncology is not simply telling every patient to walk 30 minutes a day. The appropriate type, intensity and progression can depend on cancer type, treatment, blood counts, bone health, recent surgery, neuropathy, cardiovascular status, frailty and baseline function. Some people can exercise independently, while others may benefit from physiotherapy, cancer rehabilitation or specialist exercise support. [8,9]

This becomes particularly important in advanced disease, bone metastases, severe anemia, recent surgery or substantial treatment toxicity. In these settings, the goal may be to maintain mobility, function and independence or reduce deconditioning rather than achieve conventional fitness targets. Lifestyle Medicine can help move the conversation from simply telling someone to “be active” toward appropriately assessed, individualized and sustainable movement, but assessment and prescription must remain within relevant professional competence and clinical safety requirements.

Nutrition during treatment also requires a different conversation from nutrition for primary cancer prevention. Some patients gain weight during treatment, while others develop poor appetite, taste changes, nausea, mucositis, diarrhea, swallowing difficulties, malabsorption, muscle loss or cancer cachexia. For someone who is losing substantial weight or muscle, maintaining adequate energy and protein intake may be a much more immediate priority than following a restrictive dietary pattern.

Cancer cachexia is particularly important because it is a complex metabolic syndrome and cannot be managed simply by telling someone to “eat more”. Dietary counseling, with or without oral nutritional supplementation, may help selected patients, but evidence remains limited and management often requires multidisciplinary assessment, attention to contributing symptoms and careful alignment with the patient's overall goals of care. [10]

Highly restrictive diets, unsupervised elimination of major food groups, prolonged fasting and unproven “detox” programs should not be promoted as cancer treatment. Specific dietary strategies that remain investigational should not be presented as established anticancer therapy outside appropriate clinical research or specialist care. For one patient, a predominantly whole-food, plant-rich dietary pattern may remain practical and appropriate. For another who is experiencing severe weight loss or difficulty eating, energy density, protein adequacy and tolerability may temporarily become more important. These are not contradictions. They reflect different clinical priorities. Food should support treatment and health, not become another treatment burden.

Supportive care extends beyond exercise and nutrition

Cancer patients are frequently exposed to claims about vitamins, antioxidants, herbal products, mushrooms, intravenous nutrients and other supplements promoted as ways to strengthen immunity, reduce treatment toxicity or treat cancer. Some nutritional supplements have legitimate indications when a deficiency or specific clinical need exists, but supplements can also interact with anticancer medicines, affect coagulation or drug metabolism, add unnecessary cost and sometimes delay evidence-based care.

Major cancer-prevention organizations do not recommend dietary supplements for cancer prevention. [7] During cancer treatment, supplement use should be discussed with the oncology team or another appropriately qualified professional who understands the patient's cancer treatment and potential interactions. Evidence that a supplement may affect a laboratory marker or support general nutrition should not be assumed to mean that it treats cancer. “Natural” does not automatically mean effective, safe or compatible with anticancer therapy.

Supportive care also involves fatigue, sleep, psychological health and social connection. Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common examples. The 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology and Society for Integrative Oncology guideline update found evidence supporting exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based programs for reducing cancer-related fatigue during and after treatment in appropriate patients. [11] Importantly, this evidence relates to symptom management and quality of life. It does not mean mindfulness or stress reduction treats the cancer itself.

Sleep problems likewise require more than the instruction to “sleep eight hours”. Pain, medications, treatment schedules, hot flashes, anxiety, sleep apnea and other factors can contribute and may require very different interventions. Psychological distress may require clinical psychology, psycho-oncology or psychiatric care rather than lifestyle counseling alone.

Social connection can be equally important. Cancer often reorganizes family roles, employment, finances and relationships. In Viet Nam, family members frequently play major practical and emotional roles in care. This can be a significant source of support, but caregiving burden, financial pressure and differences in preferences around communication or decision-making may also create stress. Lifestyle Medicine can recognize sleep, psychological health and social connection as part of whole-person care, but it should not substitute lifestyle counseling for specialist mental health, social, rehabilitation or palliative services when those services are needed.

Survivorship is part of the cancer continuum

Cancer survivorship is broader than the period after treatment ends. The National Cancer Institute considers a person a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through the rest of life, including people living with cancer as well as those who are free of cancer. [12] This broader understanding matters because supportive and survivorship needs can begin during treatment rather than suddenly appearing after treatment has finished.

The estimated 409,144 people living within five years of a cancer diagnosis in Viet Nam in 2022 already represents a substantial population requiring ongoing care. [1] Five-year prevalence does not include everyone diagnosed more than five years earlier, so it should not be interpreted as the total number of people living after a cancer diagnosis. Even so, it illustrates why survivorship deserves attention as a health-system issue.

Survivorship can involve persistent fatigue, neuropathy, reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, changes in body composition, sexual dysfunction, cognitive concerns, fear of recurrence, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, bone-health problems and other long-term consequences of cancer or its treatment. Some people remain at risk of recurrence or a second cancer, while others live for decades without evidence of disease.

Recent publications in 2026 have specifically examined Lifestyle Medicine as a framework for cancer survivorship, bringing together physical activity, nutrition, sleep, psychological well-being, social connection and avoidance of risky substances with conventional oncology follow-up. [13,14] These publications are useful for framing the emerging role of the field, but they should not be interpreted as evidence that the same Lifestyle Medicine intervention reduces recurrence or improves survival across every cancer type.

The strength of evidence varies by outcome and cancer. Physical activity has substantial evidence for improving function, fatigue and quality of life. Evidence linking physical activity, dietary patterns and body weight with recurrence and survival is more developed for some cancers than others and includes a substantial observational evidence base. The American Cancer Society therefore recommends attention to physical activity, nutrition and body weight after a cancer diagnosis while recognizing differences in the evidence across cancers and clinical situations. [15]

Another reason Lifestyle Medicine becomes particularly relevant in survivorship is that people do not stop being at risk for other diseases after a cancer diagnosis. Some cancer treatments can affect cardiovascular health, bone health, metabolism or physical function. Ageing, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and tobacco exposure may coexist with cancer and become increasingly important as people live longer. Recent survivorship literature specifically highlights cardiometabolic disease, fatigue, sleep disturbance, psychological distress and second malignancies among important long-term concerns. [14]

This creates an important bridge between oncology, primary care and other specialties. Survivorship does not mean that every health issue needs to remain under the oncology service indefinitely, but discharge from intensive oncology follow-up should not mean that treatment-related risks are forgotten. Shared care may be needed depending on cancer type, treatment history, comorbidities and individual needs. The responsible message is not that Lifestyle Medicine guarantees cancer-free survival. It is that survivorship creates an opportunity to address modifiable health risks, treatment sequelae, physical function and quality of life alongside appropriate oncological surveillance.

Advanced cancer requires different goals

Lifestyle Medicine should not impose the goals of primary prevention on someone living with advanced cancer. For a person with advanced disease, priorities may include symptom control, maintaining strength and mobility, eating foods that are tolerable, preserving meaningful activities, spending time with family and reducing treatment burden. Weight loss may reflect cancer cachexia rather than an opportunity for weight management. Exercise goals may focus on safe mobility, independence and function rather than achieving fitness targets, and dietary restriction may be counterproductive.

Palliative care belongs within comprehensive cancer care and should not be confused with “giving up”. It can be introduced alongside disease-directed treatment and can address pain and other symptoms, psychological and social needs, communication, decision-making and quality of life. The World Health Organization's 2026 global cancer report explicitly places palliative care within the cancer continuum. [2]

Lifestyle Medicine may contribute selected supportive strategies when they fit the person's condition and goals, but it should never delay access to palliative care or create pressure to pursue lifestyle changes when comfort, function and quality of life are the more appropriate priorities.

Prevention and survivorship need to be equitable

Healthy behavior does not occur in a vacuum. Food affordability, working hours, housing, transport, air quality, health literacy, access to screening, rehabilitation, oncology services and social support all influence what people can realistically do. The World Health Organization's 2026 cancer report places substantial emphasis on inequities across cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care and survivorship. Scientific advances have limited population benefit if people cannot access them because of geography, cost, health-system capacity or other structural barriers. [2]

This has particular relevance for Lifestyle Medicine in Viet Nam. Recommendations that assume access to specialist rehabilitation, safe exercise facilities, expensive foods, digital technology or repeated private consultations may work for selected groups but be difficult to scale equitably. A more practical approach is to adapt interventions to available resources, use familiar and affordable options, strengthen primary and community-based capacity where appropriate, and avoid interpreting structural barriers as a lack of motivation.

Person-centered care also means recognizing that not every patient will be ready or able to change every lifestyle behavior at the same time. The goal is not to produce a perfect lifestyle. It is to identify priorities that are safe, meaningful and achievable within the person's medical and social context.

What should healthcare organizations in Viet Nam do differently?

Lifestyle Medicine does not require every hospital to create a separate Lifestyle Medicine oncology clinic. For many organizations in Viet Nam, the more practical starting point is to strengthen existing cancer pathways rather than build a parallel service.

At diagnosis and during treatment, healthcare organizations can consider systematic assessment of tobacco use, nutritional risk, physical function and activity, psychological distress and relevant social needs. Clear referral pathways can then connect patients with clinical nutrition, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, psychology or psychiatry, smoking-cessation services, palliative care and other disciplines when indicated.

During treatment, lifestyle-related supportive care should be coordinated with the oncology plan rather than delivered independently of it. Recommendations should take into account treatment phase, symptoms, nutritional status, functional capacity, comorbidities and the patient's priorities. After treatment, survivorship pathways can combine appropriate cancer surveillance with management of treatment effects, cardiovascular and metabolic risk, physical function, nutrition, psychological health and return to meaningful work, family and social activities.

International interest in this integration is increasing. In 2026, the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer endorsed an American College of Lifestyle Medicine cancer risk-reduction and survivorship toolkit. This endorsement relates to an educational and supportive-care resource, not to an anticancer-treatment guideline, but it is a useful example of lifestyle-related care being positioned within comprehensive cancer services rather than outside conventional oncology. [16]

For Viet Nam, the priority should therefore be integration into prevention, oncology supportive care and survivorship, not creation of a parallel alternative-care pathway.

What should be measured?

Lifestyle-oriented cancer programs should not be judged simply by the number of lectures delivered or the number of patients who have been told to “eat better and exercise”. If Lifestyle Medicine is to be integrated into healthcare delivery, it needs measurable outcomes.

During active treatment, relevant measures may include nutritional status, weight and muscle preservation where clinically appropriate, physical function, fatigue, physical activity, tobacco cessation, psychological well-being, quality of life and treatment tolerance or completion. Not every measure will be appropriate for every cancer, treatment or patient. In survivorship, measurement may expand to include cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, body composition where relevant, dietary quality, tobacco and alcohol use, sleep, cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, return to work or social participation, patient-reported quality of life and adherence to recommended oncological follow-up.

Cancer recurrence, cancer-specific survival and overall survival are important outcomes, but they require sufficiently large populations, appropriate comparison groups, long follow-up and careful consideration of cancer type, stage, treatment and other confounding factors. An improvement in fatigue, fitness or dietary quality should not be presented as evidence that an intervention reduces cancer recurrence unless the data actually demonstrate that outcome. This distinction is fundamental to credible Lifestyle Medicine research and quality improvement in oncology.

Viet Nam's legal framework supports prevention, but cancer treatment remains clinical oncology

Viet Nam's Law on Disease Prevention (Luật Phòng bệnh) No. 114/2025/QH15, adopted on 10 December 2025 and effective from 1 July 2026, establishes a broader statutory framework for disease prevention. The law specifically addresses noncommunicable diseases and identifies risk factors related to unhealthy behavior and lifestyle, metabolic disorders, environmental pollution and other risks. It also provides for early detection, prevention and community-based management of noncommunicable diseases. [17]

The implementation framework has been further developed through Decree No. 165/2026/NĐ-CP, dated 15 May 2026, and Circular No. 15/2026/TT-BYT, dated 17 May 2026, both effective from 1 July 2026. [18,19] Together, these developments provide an increasingly relevant legal and policy environment for prevention, health promotion and evidence-based work on modifiable risk factors. They should not, however, be interpreted as creating authority for individuals or organizations to diagnose or treat cancer outside the existing legal framework for medical practice.

Viet Nam's Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, as consolidated in Consolidated Document No. 26/VBHN-VPQH dated 26 February 2026, continues to regulate professional healthcare practice. The law provides for professional practice licences, professional titles and scopes of practice, together with registration of practice at healthcare facilities. [20]

Lifestyle Medicine education, membership or international certification does not, by itself, create a Vietnamese professional practice licence, an oncology qualification or an expanded legal scope of practice. Cancer diagnosis, staging, interpretation of pathology and imaging, systemic anticancer therapy, radiotherapy, surgery and other clinical cancer treatments must remain within the lawful scope and competence of appropriately qualified professionals and appropriately licensed healthcare facilities.

The same principle applies to supportive care. Clinical nutrition, rehabilitation, psychological treatment and other healthcare interventions should be provided by appropriately qualified professionals acting within their applicable professional scope. A multidisciplinary team may use international clinical guidelines, consensus statements and scientific evidence to improve care, but an international guideline or certification does not automatically become a Vietnamese regulatory standard or expand a professional's legal authority. Maintaining these boundaries is particularly important for Lifestyle Medicine because it helps distinguish evidence-based clinical practice from unregulated wellness claims or alternative cancer treatment.

From prevention to survivorship, the goal is integration

Lifestyle Medicine has a meaningful role across the cancer continuum, but that role changes with the clinical situation. Before cancer develops, the priority is to reduce preventable risk while supporting vaccination, screening, early diagnosis and healthier environments. During treatment, lifestyle-related care becomes supportive and individualized, helping people preserve function, maintain adequate nutrition, manage fatigue and psychological health, remain appropriately active and address behaviors such as tobacco use without interfering with effective cancer therapy. After diagnosis and through survivorship, the focus broadens toward long-term health, functional recovery, management of treatment effects, chronic-disease prevention and quality of life.

The central message is not that Lifestyle Medicine treats cancer. Lifestyle Medicine does not replace cancer treatment. Its role is to reduce preventable risk, support people during treatment and strengthen health after a cancer diagnosis.

Surgery, systemic therapy and radiotherapy can control or cure cancer when appropriately indicated. Vaccination can prevent infections that cause some cancers. Screening can prevent some cancers through the detection and treatment of precancerous lesions or identify cancer at an earlier stage, while timely evaluation of symptoms can help diagnose cancers when treatment may be more effective. Rehabilitation and supportive care can preserve function and manage the effects of cancer and treatment. Palliative care can reduce suffering and protect quality of life. Lifestyle interventions can reduce some preventable risks and help people maintain or recover health. These approaches are complementary rather than competing.

For Viet Nam, the opportunity is to connect them into a more preventive, evidence-based, supportive and person-centered cancer-care continuum.

References and further reading

1. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. Viet Nam Fact Sheet, GLOBOCAN 2022. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2024.

2. World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Cancer 2026: The Future We Choose Together. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026.

3. Fink H, Langselius O, Vignat J, et al. Global and regional cancer burden attributable to modifiable risk factors to inform prevention. Nature Medicine. 2026;32:1306–1315. doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04219-7.

4. World Health Organization. Cancer. Fact sheet. Updated 3 July 2026.

5. World Health Organization. WHO Guideline for Screening and Treatment of Cervical Pre-cancer Lesions for Cervical Cancer Prevention: Use of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) DNA Genotyping. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026; and Evidence-informed Guidance for the Implementation of HPV-based Cervical Cancer Screening Programmes. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026.

6. World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific. National Survey on the Risk Factors of Noncommunicable Diseases in Viet Nam, 2021. Manila: World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific; 2025.

7. World Cancer Research Fund International. Cancer Prevention Recommendations. Accessed 23 September 2026; and Policy Blueprint for Cancer Prevention. London: World Cancer Research Fund International; 2025.

8. Ligibel JA, Bohlke K, May AM, et al. Exercise, Diet, and Weight Management During Cancer Treatment: American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2022;40(22):2491–2507. doi:10.1200/JCO.22.00687.

9. Campbell KL, Winters-Stone KM, Wiskemann J, et al. Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors: Consensus Statement from International Multidisciplinary Roundtable. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2019;51(11):2375–2390. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002116.

10. Roeland EJ, Bohlke K, Baracos VE, et al. Management of Cancer Cachexia: American Society of Clinical Oncology Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2020;38(21):2438–2453. doi:10.1200/JCO.20.00611.

11. Bower JE, Lacchetti C, Alici Y, et al. Management of Fatigue in Adult Survivors of Cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology–Society for Integrative Oncology Guideline Update. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2024;42(20):2456–2487. doi:10.1200/JCO.24.00541.

12. National Cancer Institute. Cancer Survivorship. National Cancer Institute. Accessed 23 September 2026.

13. Hundal J, Hardacre M, Comander A. Applying Lifestyle Medicine to Enhance Cancer Survivorship and Patient Well-being. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2026;20(7):1010–1018. doi:10.1177/15598276261454630.

14. Hundal J, Peshin S. Lifestyle medicine for cancer survivorship. Current Opinion in Oncology. 2026;38(4):275–281. doi:10.1097/CCO.0000000000001243.

15. Rock CL, Thomson CA, Sullivan KR, et al. American Cancer Society nutrition and physical activity guideline for cancer survivors. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2022;72(3):230–262. doi:10.3322/caac.21719.

16. Ginex PK, Kleckner AS, Mansfield S, et al. Promoting lifestyle medicine for supportive care in cancer: MASCC endorsement of the ACLM cancer risk reduction and survivorship toolkit. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2026;34(2):125. doi:10.1007/s00520-026-10367-w.

17. National Assembly of Viet Nam. Law on Disease Prevention (Luật Phòng bệnh) No. 114/2025/QH15. Adopted 10 December 2025; effective 1 July 2026.

18. Government of Viet Nam. Decree No. 165/2026/NĐ-CP providing detailed regulations and guidance for implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Disease Prevention. Issued 15 May 2026; effective 1 July 2026.

19. Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Circular No. 15/2026/TT-BYT providing detailed regulations on certain provisions of the Law on Disease Prevention. Issued 17 May 2026; effective 1 July 2026.

20. Office of the National Assembly of Viet Nam. Consolidated Document No. 26/VBHN-VPQH dated 26 February 2026, Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.

Clinical and regulatory note: This article is intended for professional education and discussion. It does not provide individual cancer advice, establish a cancer-treatment protocol, replace screening, diagnosis, oncology treatment, rehabilitation, supportive or palliative care, or define a Vietnamese professional scope of practice. Lifestyle-related interventions during or after cancer treatment should be individualized according to cancer type, stage, treatment, symptoms, nutritional status, functional capacity, comorbidities and professional guidance. People with suspected or diagnosed cancer should receive evaluation and treatment through appropriately qualified healthcare professionals and services.

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