Experts call for more awareness about women's cancers

Medical experts have called for greater public awareness about women's cancers ahead of International Women's Day, which falls on March 8.

Experts said that ovarian cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest mortality rate in the gynecology field in China. This form of cancer also has one of the highest morbidity rates in the country.

There are more than 55,000 new ovarian cancer cases and 37,000 deaths caused by the disease in the country each year, according to official data.

Experts noted that efforts must be made to address certain clinical problems that have persisted for many years. For example, 70 percent of ovarian cancer patients in China are only diagnosed when they are already in the late stage, and 70 percent of patients suffer from a relapse after two to three years of receiving initial treatment. Also, the five-year survival rate for this cancer in China is only 30 percent.

Wang Yu, president of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, said that some innovative targeted therapies can help delay relapses, reduce drug resistance, and prolong progression-free survival.

"The targeted therapy Niraparib was included in the country's National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) that was implemented at the beginning of this year. It is now available to all newly diagnosed late-stage ovarian cancer patients," said Wang.

"Such efforts will largely reduce patients' financial burdens and promote maintenance treatment as an important part of the whole-process management for these cancer patients."

Experts also warned that breast cancer has become the most common cancer in the world. According to the International Agency Research on Cancer, new breast cancer cases and death cases numbered 416,000 and 117,000 respectively in China in 2020.

Around 90 percent of breast cancer patients are diagnosed at early stage, but 20 percent of them suffer from relapse and metastasis, experts said.

On Sunday, United States-based Eli Lilly announced the China launch of an innovative drug called Verzenio that can treat early-stage breast cancer.

"The long-term relapse risk for these early-stage patients is flat," said Shao Zhimin, director of general surgery and breast surgery departments of the Shanghai Cancer Center.

"Compared to current treatments, the drug has been clinically proven to reduce relapse risk by 30 percent," he said.

Julio Gay-Ger, president and general manager of Lilly China, said that Verzenio, which has been included in the country's treatment guidelines for early-stage breast cancer patients, can be a gamechanger for patients.

"The market launch of the drug for early-stage breast cancer in China came only two months after receiving approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration. This shows the company's dedication to bringing novel treatment options to China and helping patients live longer and better," he said.

Verzenio was previously made available in China in March 2021 for the treatment of late-stage breast cancer and was later included in the NRDL.