New 3-Year Prevention Plan to Curb China's Rising Cancer Rate

Cancer has become a major public health problem in China. Some 2 million people are dying of cancer every year and more than three million new cases reported annually, revealed the National Health and Family Planning Commission. China's aging population, environmental pollution and unhealthy lifestyles have escalated the cancer incidence rate and death rate in the country. Health officials seeking to curb China's increasing incidence of cancer are implementing a three-year nationwide plan that expands cancer screening, registration and prevention while reducing smoking.

Chen Wanqing, director of the National Central Cancer Registry, which the commission established to track cases in 2002, said, "The prevention of cancer cannot be achieved in a short period. We are working on a medium-and long-term plan now, and that plan will provide profound guidance."

Specific goals of the three-year prevention plan include increasing cancer patient registration to 30% of the country's population, increasing the percentage of the population that has essential knowledge of cancer prevention to 60% and reducing the smoking rate among adults by 3%.

The plan also encourages the creation of new anti-tumor medications to help reduce the economic burden of cancer patients, and seeks an expansion of basic medical insurance coverage for major diseases such as cancer.

Source-IANS