By 2030, the overall 5-year cancer survival rate will reach 46.6% – a goal set out in the Healthy China Initiative – Cancer Prevention and Control Action Implementation Plan (2023-2030).
Strengthening screening and early diagnosis and treatment is an effective means to improve the 5-year survival rate of cancer. April 15-21 this year is the 30th National Cancer Prevention and Treatment Awareness Week, with the theme of "Comprehensive Policies and Scientific Cancer Prevention". How can cancer prevention be better "moved forward"? This reporter conducted an interview on this.
Comprehensive prevention and treatment of cancer: 5-year survival rate rises to 43.7%
According to data released by the National Health Commission, the 5-year survival rate of cancer in mainland China has increased from 40.5% in 2015 to 43.7% in 2022.
A comprehensive cancer prevention and control network at the national, provincial and municipal levels has been basically established, and the coverage rate of the National Healthy Lifestyle Action has exceeded 90% in counties and districts, and the coverage rate of breast cancer and cervical cancer screening has exceeded 90% in counties and counties...... Behind the changes in numbers, a series of comprehensive prevention and control measures continue to be implemented.
At the same time, according to the continuous monitoring data of the National Cancer Center from 2000 to 2018, the age-standardized mortality rate of malignant tumors in the mainland population decreased by 1.3% per year, and the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of high-incidence tumors in the mainland population such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and liver cancer decreased year by year.
Experts from the Cancer Registration Office of the National Cancer Center said that this proves that in recent years, the mainland has achieved remarkable results in the field of comprehensive cancer prevention and control through measures such as prevention and control of risk factors, screening, early diagnosis and treatment, and standardized diagnosis and treatment.
According to the World Health Organization, one-third of cancers can be prevented, and one-third of cancers can be cured through early detection and treatment.
According to the "Healthy China Action - Cancer Prevention and Control Action Implementation Plan (2023-2030)" jointly issued by the National Health Commission and other departments, the mainland is further promoting early cancer screening, early diagnosis and early treatment. All localities will gradually expand the coverage of screening, early diagnosis and early treatment for cancers with high prevalence, cost-effective early treatment, and simple and easy screening methods.
Proactive screening to detect more cancer cases in a timely manner
According to the National Cancer Center's estimation based on continuous monitoring data, there will be about 4,824,700 cases of malignant tumors in mainland China in 2022, and the top five cases are lung cancer, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, liver cancer, and gastric cancer.
According to the analysis of relevant experts, the number of malignant tumors has increased compared with previous years, and the continuous deepening of the aging of the population is the main reason.
In order to further strengthen cancer prevention and control, the "Healthy China Action - Cancer Prevention and Control Action Implementation Plan (2023-2030)" clearly proposes to promote early diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the next stage, and strengthen the long-term mechanism of screening.
Daniel Zhang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the National Cancer Center, said that the National Cancer Center took the lead in formulating guidelines for screening, early diagnosis and early treatment of 7 common cancer types, and as of 2022, the early diagnosis rate of key cancer types in high-incidence areas in mainland China has exceeded 55%.
Daniel Zhang introduced that in the next step, we should continue to expand the coverage of screening and early diagnosis and early treatment, and optimize the effective connection between screening and early diagnosis and early treatment. At the same time, we should strengthen the popularization of cancer prevention science, further improve the public's acceptance and initiative in cancer screening, and promote the public's active participation in cancer screening projects, so that the results of screening can benefit more people.
Differences High-risk groups may consider cancer screening
Although she is only over 30 years old, Wang Yanmei (pseudonym), a citizen of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, goes to the Shanxi Provincial Cancer Examination Center every year for a cancer prevention physical examination. Wang Yanmei has a rare family history of cancer: her father died of lung cancer, her eldest brother and second brother also died of stomach cancer and lung cancer respectively, and her mother suffered from cervical cancer.
"Considering her high risk of cancer, we recommend that she come for a screening every year. Guan Xuemei, deputy director of the Shanxi Provincial Cancer Physical Examination Center, told reporters that unlike the routine physical examination for the general population, the cancer prevention physical examination is mainly aimed at high-risk groups of cancer.
According to reports, the people who need to consider cancer prevention physical examination mainly include: people with a family history of cancer, especially those whose parents, siblings have cancer, people who have long-term exposure to toxic and harmful substances and occupational exposure, and people who have bad living habits, such as long-term or heavy smokers, alcoholics, etc.
Compared with conventional physical examination, cancer prevention physical examination has more examination methods and higher equipment requirements.
Sun Jing, director of the Physical Examination Center of Bethune Third Hospital of Jilin University, introduced that taking breast examination as an example, ordinary physical examination is usually based on palpation and ultrasound, and mammography and tumor marker examination will be added to the cancer prevention physical examination, which is easier to find early lesions. Another example is lung examination, the general physical examination can be seen by chest X-ray, while the cancer prevention physical examination can be judged by low-dose spiral CT, tumor markers, etc. In terms of esophageal, stomach, intestinal and other digestive tract examinations, endoscopy is generally not prescribed in ordinary physical examinations, while cancer prevention examinations can detect lesions in time through endoscopy.
However, there is currently no means to screen all cancers uniformly, and only specific tests can be performed for different cancers. In contrast, the cost of cancer prevention check-ups is also higher, and some tests are also somewhat invasive and radiation, which is not suitable for everyone. Experts point out that there are differences in the high-risk groups of different types of cancer, and cancer prevention physical examinations should also be carried out selectively. (Reporter Dong Ruifeng, Ma Xiaoyuan, Zhao Dandan)
Source: Xinhua News Agency