Guangzhou people have 33% chance of getting cancer

Source:Global Times Published: 2013-4-24 0:33:01



Guangzhou, the capital city of South China's Guangdong Province, has the third highest rate of colorectal cancer among 31 cities, according to new statistics from the country's national cancer center, the Nandu Daily reported Monday.

New statistics from Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention show the cancer rate is 265 per 100,000 people and the death rate is 156 per 100,000 people. The data also shows the incidence rate and the mortality rate are higher in urban areas.

Urban residents have a 33 percent chance of contracting cancer in their lifetime, said Lin Guozhen, a senior official from the Guangzhou center.

Chronic infection is the leading cause of cancers, accounting for 29.4 percent all cases, while smoking is blamed for 22.61 percent of cancers, said Qiao Youlin, a cancer expert and a professor of oncology research at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Other risk factors include an unhealthy diet, obesity, lack of exercise and pollution, said Qiao.

Every day 8,550 people are identified as cancer patients across the country, according to China's 2012 cancer report issued earlier this year.

Wang Ning, vice director of Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, said that the cancer rate is expected to rise over the next 10 years, and many more people will likely suffer lung cancer by 2033, the People's Daily reported.

Experts believe that one third of cancers could be prevented, and one third could be successfully treated with early detection, and one third of patients could alleviate their suffering through medical treatment.

Global Times



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