China to improve cancer screening: expert

BEIJING -- China will expand the supply of cancer screening services and improve screening capabilities, said a Chinese medical expert at a press conference on Dec 23.

The five-year cancer survival rate in China grew from 30.9 percent to 40.5 percent in the past decade, said He Jie, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the National Cancer Center.

However, the incidence of cancer is still on the rise due to population aging, industrialization, and urbanization that have accelerated in recent years, He noted.

Other factors, such as chronic infections and unhealthy lifestyles, also result in growing cancer incidences, said He, calling for effective precaution and early diagnosis and treatment to improve survival rates.

China will also make efforts to raise public awareness of guarding against cancer, He noted.