China urges public to raise awareness of cancer signals

BEIJING - China's health authorities have urged the public to raise awareness of cancer signals their bodies send out in order to have the dangerous disease diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

Those who find themselves with abnormal lumps, continuous indigestion, and anorexia should go to the hospital in time, warned the National Health Commission (NHC) during the country's 25th National Anti-Cancer Week between April 15 and 21.

The NHC also listed several other dangerous signals of cancer, such as black moles rapidly becoming darker or bigger, ulcers that are hard to heel, and abnormalities with human excrement.

It is known that unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking and drinking, an unbalanced diet, and psychological pressure, increase the risk of cancer.

In 2015, 3.93 million new cases of malignant tumors were reported in China, 2.34 million died from the disease, and annual medical expenses exceeded 220 billion yuan ($32.82 billion), NHC figures show.

According to the World Health Organization, one-third of cancers can be completely prevented, one-third can be completely cured through early diagnosis, and the remaining one-third can be better treated to prolong life, ease pain, and improve living quality.