China irreplaceable in the fight against cancer
By Wang Yu and Cui Jiaxiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-28 10:01
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One out of every four cancer deaths worldwide occurs in China, and the country is very important to the world's cancer prevention and treatment efforts, a renowned Chinese oncologist said recently.
"But China still has a long way to go, in terms of cancer prevention and treatment," said Hao Xishan, president of the China Anti-Cancer Association (CAA) and director of the Tumor Hospital affiliated to the Tianjin Medicine University, during the 16th National Publicity Week for Cancer Prevention and Treatment early this month.
The CAA made the theme for this year's event, "valuing life and seeking scientific anti-cancer measures for a better life".
"One third of cancers can be effectively prevented or treated by changing lifestyles, early diagnosis and early treatment, " Hao explains.
Due to the large population, fast economic development and the pressures of modern society, Hao says it is not surprising that there is such a high incidence of cancer in China. However, the large number of cases means there is a vast sample for research in cancer prevention and treatment, and the fact that some kinds of cancers are typical to Chinese sufferers means that China's contribution to the world fight against cancer is irreplaceable.
In recent years, China has made great progress in cancer prevention and treatment, and achieved notable success both in fundamental research and clinical trials.
During the past three years in particular, the CAA, has been implementing a breast cancer-screening program all over the country, one of the largest projects of its kind worldwide.
But Hao stresses that: "Cancer prevention and treatment are not only the responsibility of professionals and hospitals, they are also the obligation of the whole of society, including policy-makers, experts and technologists."
International cooperation is also important, he says, and with this in mind, the CAA is hosting the 22nd Asia-Pacific Cancer Congress in Tianjin in 2013 and the 21st World Cancer Congress in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, this August.
The scale of the event in August, when WHO's Director-General Margaret Chan and Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu will present the opening ceremony, will be unprecedented, Hao says.