Professor, Doctor of Medicine, People's Physician, Hero of Labor Nguyen Chan Hung - Photo archive
Professor Nguyen Chan Hung made an appointment to meet Tuoi Tre Online reporter on a weekend morning at his private house in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.
Professor Nguyen Chan Hung has filled the bookshelf with books he has written for the medical profession, as well as books written in a way that is easy for the general public to understand about cancer. Occasionally, during his talk, he brings up the books as evidence!
81 years old still full of enthusiasm
At the age of 81, Professor Nguyen Chan Hung still enthusiastically travels to the provinces to talk to people and meet with colleagues whenever he has the chance. He is also passionate about writing many books and articles… with the aim of helping as many people as possible understand this difficult disease.
Recently, to make it easier for people to read and remember, he gathered all the knowledge he had acquired over the decades about cancer and wrote sentences like: “Cancer can be cured if detected early. If left too late, it can easily become incurable…”; “Cancer is preventable, my friend. Oh, when the disease strikes, it is like heaven calling”…
Mr. Chan Hung devoted his entire life to the field of oncology. He graduated as a medical doctor from Saigon Medical University in 1970 and has been a lecturer in oncology since 1973. Since 1976, he has been the head of the oncology department at Binh Dan Hospital.
Academician Duong Quang Trung, then director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , wanted to develop specialties such as cancer, ENT, orthopedics, etc. into separate centers.
He proposed merging the oncology department of Binh Dan Hospital with the Ho Chi Minh City Cancer Hospital at that time into the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Center, from "cancer" to "tumor".
Since then, the word “cancer” has been widely used. In 1990, Dr. Nguyen Chan Hung became the director of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Center, later renamed the Oncology Hospital.
With a gentle, engaging voice, he recounted each stage of his journey from more than 50 years ago. He and his colleagues built the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Center. He always worked passionately and tirelessly.
Professor Nguyen Chan Hung diligently teaches the younger generation - Photo: NVCC
"Back then, there were times when my hair turned gray because patients were waiting for the old, broken radiotherapy machine that couldn't be repaired.
Went to France and got two Cobalt radiotherapy machines. The good ones were in use, they changed to new ones - they took care of everything, transportation, assembly, and training on how to use them.
I reported home and was accepted. I was so happy that I didn't know who to share it with. I stood on the Saint Cloud bridge over the Seine River and tears streamed down my face. I will always remember it.
Difficulties piled up, then advantages followed. The city leaders provided land, truly golden land, and provided stimulus loans to build a modern accelerated radiotherapy area...".
While serving as director of the Oncology Hospital, president of the Ho Chi Minh City Cancer Association and vice president of the Vietnam Cancer Association, Associate Professor Nguyen Chan Hung gathered and united colleagues to build a "blooming" cancer prevention network in the country.
He is also the one who had the idea of organizing annual cancer conferences in many provinces and cities, creating opportunities to meet and exchange knowledge about cancer prevention.
In 2007, Professor Nguyen Chan Hung retired but continued to teach medical students and traveled across the country to teach his profession to his juniors and students and to talk to people, helping them understand cancer. In 2010, he was trusted by his colleagues as the president of the Vietnam Cancer Association.
Professor Nguyen Chan Hung devoted himself to expanding the cancer prevention network nationwide and enthusiastically encouraged people with the message "early detection of cancer can lead to a cure".
The talented doctor
“Wavy hair, gentle mouth, always smiling. Talking to him, I feel like he is more like a poet than a doctor” is the feeling of many people when talking to him.
As a child, he was good at math and good at literature. His grandfather in the countryside had a side job as a doctor to help the villagers. His father studied Western and knew a little Chinese, his grandfather only knew how to take the pulse and prescribe medicine.
Thanks to his father's loving reminder, he pursued medicine. Since childhood, his grandfather encouraged him to read books. In high school, he loved all kinds of books, especially those of scholar Nguyen Hien Le.
Mr. Chan Hung knows the poems of Ly Bach and Du Phu, reads many " martial arts stories" of Kim Dung, novels of Tu Luc Van Doan , Chuyen dong que Ho Bieu Chanh, Huong rung Ca Mau by Son Nam... His good point is that he has brought social and literary knowledge into articles specializing in medicine, making articles about medicine become attractive and engaging...
Having read many works of many writers, scholar Nguyen Hien Le had the most influence on him... Fate brought the young medical school teacher to meet the scholar during a medical examination.
On one occasion, author Nguyen Chan Hung presented a book series Clinical Oncology Lectures for Medical Students of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy to the writer who always respected him. After reading it, “Uncle Le” really liked it and urged: I wish doctors would write “popular, easy-to-understand” books so that everyone can understand cancer.
From then on, Dr. Chan Hung read more of all genres, learned folk sayings, learned Lao Tzu's profound and concise writing style, and Trang Tu's short but meaningful sentences... to write a book that was easy for people to understand: Understanding Cancer , 1984.
Next were many other books. Then we realized that we need to spread the word to people everywhere: "Cancer can be cured if detected early. If left too long, it can easily become incurable."
Meeting Professor Nguyen Chan Hung at his home - Photo: THUY DUONG
Many people wonder why Professor Nguyen Chan Hung still has so much work to do after retirement! For him, “countryside” is not limited to his own home, but his entire country.
Every time I go to the provinces to talk to the people, besides sharing knowledge with them, I also get to see many beautiful scenes of my hometown, so that the pages I write are always imbued with love for my hometown...
As in the book Light Steps of Wandering , teacher Nguyen Chan Hung wrote: "Standing on Gia Bay Bridge in Thai Nguyen, I watched the peaceful river. Cau River is not wide but lovely. Oh, I miss Thai Nguyen with its tea gardens, Nui Coc Lake, and Cau River.
I absentmindedly remember the opportunity to follow the river along the road, remember the time I met Cau River in Bac Ninh. It is truly "the water flows gently". Cau River is also called Quan Ho River, so poetic. I heard that here the river is called Nhu Nguyet, where Ly Thuong Kiet defeated the Song army"...
When asked "What factors have shaped you into a giant in the field of cancer treatment?", Professor Nguyen Chan Hung smiled and replied: "I don't dare to become a giant, I just diligently study the profession and take care of sick people."
He confided that he was fortunate to meet many good teachers such as Pham Bieu Tam, Ngo Gia Hy, Nguyen Huu, Dang Van Chieu, Dang Duc Hoanh… at Saigon Medical University. And he carried that spirit to pass on to the next generation.
Especially on the long journey of building a cancer prevention network for Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta and when he was struggling across the country, he said he kept in mind the gratitude of many teachers, seniors, colleagues, juniors and students.
Professor Nguyen Chan Hung has held many important positions - Photo: NVCC
He named many talented, dedicated and visionary managers such as Academician Duong Quang Trung - former Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, Professor Truong Cong Trung - former Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy...
"I always remember Professor Luong Tan Truong - the first director of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Center, who guided me to develop the hospital; Professor Pham Thuy Lien, the first president of the Vietnam Cancer Association, who set an example of enthusiasm for the association; Doctor Nguyen Trong Nham (Mr. Muoi Nham), director of Binh Dan Hospital; Comrade Do Duy Lien (Ms. Tu Lien); Pharmacist Dr. Nguyen Duy Cuong (Mr. Ba Cuong) and... countless others," the old doctor still did not forget anyone.
He also said that the teachers used the images of "sowing and reaping" and "the well" to teach medical students at that time about medical ethics. "We are sown and reaped, and in turn we also sow and reap, which means knowing how to receive good values from previous generations, and also knowing how to give good values to future generations."
He followed the spirit of the well. “Wherever the well is, it stays there without changing. Because of the underground well spring, the well never runs dry, the water is full but does not overflow. Whoever needs water can come to the well and get as much as they want, the more water is taken, the clearer and cleaner it becomes…”
My teacher told me to follow the example of the well to take care of the sick. The professor repeated it like a guiding principle in his life.
At the age of 81, Professor Nguyen Chan Hung is still sharp, healthy, and full of enthusiasm for his work. What is the secret to the professor's good health and spirit?
Professor Nguyen Chan Hung smiled brightly and said: “My favorite prescription: Cherish the precious medicine given by God; Eat well, sleep enough, exercise regularly, live happily…”.
Dr. Nguyen Chan Hung was born in 1944 in Tien Giang, graduated from Saigon Medical University in 1970. In 1972, he received his national doctorate in medicine. He was appointed associate professor of medicine in 1992, then professor of medicine in 2006.
After the country's reunification, from 1976, Dr. Nguyen Chan Hung was in charge of the Oncology Department of Binh Dan Hospital. From 1985, he held the position of Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Center.
Since 1990, Dr. Hung has been the director of the Oncology Center, which was later transformed into the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital (since 2002). He is both a physician and a teacher: He is also in charge of the oncology department and the practical surgery department at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City.
Since 1990, he has also been the head of the oncology department at the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Training and Development of Medical Staff (later Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine). In 1978, he was elected president of the Ho Chi Minh City Cancer Association (1978 - 2007). He is the president of the Vietnam Cancer Association and editor-in-chief of the Vietnam Oncology Journal (2010 - 2022).
Professor Nguyen Chan Hung has over 100 medical scientific research topics and a number of oncology textbooks and many popular cancer books: Clinical Oncology published in 1982, Medical Oncology published in 1984, Clinical Oncology Handbook 1985 (translated Manual of Clinical Oncology UICC, 6th edition), Early detection and treatment of cancer , 2013; Cancer prevention and treatment handbook , 2013; The depths of life , 2015, reprinted in 2022.
Understanding Cancer (1984) reprinted many times. Cancer Prevention and Treatment Handbook, 2014; Cancer If Known Early, Can Be Cured , 2012. The Mist Disappears , 2010; Light Steps of Wandering , 2011; People in Siege , 2012; The Miraculous Endocrine Orchestra , 2012; Cancer If Known Early, Can Be Cured , 2013; Cancer Prevention and Treatment Handbook , 2014; Guiding Back to Childhood , 2015; The Depths of Life …
THUY DUONG
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ton-vinh-guong-mat-tieu-bieu-cua-tp-hcm-50-nam-qua-bac-si-nguyen-chan-hung-2025042417582733.htm
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