Cheaper cancer drugs not the be all, end all

CHINA REMOVED IMPORT TARIFFS on cancer drugs from May 1, and lowered the value added tax on the drugs as well from May 3. Voice of China estimates the two moves combined save patients about 1,000 yuan ($158) a year on average. Guangming Daily commented on Monday:

China Anti-Cancer Association statistics indicate that 4.29 million people were diagnosed with cancer in China last year, 22 percent of the world's total new cancer cases during that period.

China accounted for 27 percent of cancer-caused deaths in the world last year.