China on Monday launched a campaign to raise public awareness about preventing cancer.
According to a report released by the Ministry of Health in May, cancer is the leading cause of mortality in China, accounting for 24 percent of deaths. Studies show that 80 percent of cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors and can be treated if detected at an early stage. For about 60 percent of cancer patients, treatment will extend their lives by five years.
However, the public lacks knowledge about cancer prevention and the media don’t give the topic enough coverage, said Mao Qun’an, a Health Ministry spokesman.
The nine-month long campaign will encourage media and health workers to promote cancer prevention knowledge to the public, publish books on stories of how patients fight cancer and engage in other activities to raise public awareness of cancer.
“The public must know that cancer is preventable and curable,” said Kong Lingzhi, deputy director of the Ministry’s disease control and prevention bureau.
China has about 3.1 million cancer patients. In the under-65 age group, lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the oesophagus and rectal cancer are the leading killers.
