Debunking the Myths

　　A change in mistaken beliefs helps cancer prevention and control

　　If Lu Ying， 69， had not had a full body checkup after a car accident in May 1997， he might not have been able to enjoy his retirement today. When he was brought in， doctors discovered that Lu had lesions in his liver， which were diagnosed as cancer.

　　Today Lu is well enough to take part in 5-km walks and a 90-minute dance session every day with his wife not far away from their home in the coastal city of Yantai， east China’s Shandong Province.

　　“I was in constant fear of the disease. The only thing lingered in my mind was death，” Lu recalled.

　　It was not until radiation therapy and several rounds of surgery that Lu gained confidence in his battle against cancer， he said. “Cancer is certainly not a death sentence， but rather a kind of chronic disease. It took me some time to realize that.”

　　A better understanding

　　Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)， 8.2 million people died of cancer in 2012. The figure is expected to reach 13 million in the next two decades， while newly diagnosed cases could rise to 22 million annually over the same period， from the present 14 million.

　　The severe challenges faced by China are in keeping with this trend. Statistics from the National Cancer Prevention and Control Research Office showed about 3.1 million new cases and 2.5 million deaths annually. It is estimated that the figures will hit 6.6 million and 3 million respectively by 2020. Lung， liver and stomach cancers are the biggest three killers in order of frequency in China， while the most frequent types of cancer are lung， breast and stomach.

　　Cancer survivors like Lu are not rare so long as their condition is detected early， which greatly increases the chances for successful treatment， said Hao Xishan， Chairman of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association during the 20th National Promotion Week for Cancer Prevention and Treatment that took place from April 15 to 21.

　　Unfortunately， stereotypes become a major obstacle to cancer prevention. A report on cancer-related beliefs and behaviors released by the International Union Against Cancer in 2009 showed that 43 percent of Chinese nationals surveyed agreed with the statement that “once a person has cancer， not much can be done to cure it.” However， only 13 percent of respondents in countries with a higher average income level thought this way.

　　In Hao’s eyes， myths about cancer and its prevention， diagnosis， treatment as well as recovery from it are spread by patients and their relatives， medical professionals， policy makers and even healthy people. Therefore， more education on cancer should be accessible in the community through various channels.

　　Wu Lingying， chief of the Department of Gynecological Oncology of the Beijing-based Cancer Institute and Hospital (CIH) under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences， knows about the myth that “cancer is incurable” better than anyone else.

　　“Several relatives of mine died of cancer less than six months after diagnosis due to their misconceptions，” Wu told Beijing Review.

　　The good news is that survival rates for some cancers have been on the rise in China in recent years—for instance， the survival rate is over 90 percent for early-stage breast cancer patients， thanks to a higher public awareness， more early detection available and adequate treatment， Wu noted.

　　Moreover， free screening tests on breast and cervical cancers targeting women aged between 35 and 59 have been gradually promoted nationwide since 2009. Over 13 million women in rural areas received the tests from 2009 to 2011. The rate of early detection for cervical and breast cancers hit 91.7 percent and 69.7 percent， respectively. In Beijing alone， where the program was being piloted， some 2.39 million women had been inspected by the end of 2012， with 2，026 new cases being diagnosed.

　　“The threat posed by the disease has been exaggerated. That is why cancer patients are more scared than those who suffer other chronic diseases such as late-stage diabetes and heart attacks，” explained He Jie， President of CIH and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

　　In fact， about 30 percent of cancer can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle or by immunization against infections caused by cancer， according to the WHO.

　　“Unfortunately， most cancer patients are in advanced or late stages while visiting doctors. The treatment efficacy is inevitably reduced，” He noted. “Early detection is the best solution to dealing with cancer.”

　　Making a difference

　　On April 11， The Lancet Oncology published a major report， examining the challenges to effective cancer control in China， India and Russia. More than 40 specialists warned that China and India， the emerging giants of Asia， are facing huge potential economic and human costs from the disease.

　　“Some of the main factors responsible for the huge burden brought by this disease， such as insufficient and unevenly distributed healthcare resources and public misconceptions about the disease， are barely visible on China’s national agenda，” said Paul Goss， a Harvard Medical School professor who led the Chinese study.

　　But Chinese professionals disagree with Goss. According to Qiao Youlin， chief of CIH’s Department of Cancer Epidemiology， China started cancer registry in the early 1960s as part of a nationwide cancer prevention effort. The number of cancer registry sites increased impressively from 30 sites in 2002 to 222 sites in 2012， covering nearly 200 million people or 15.3 percent of the country’s population.

　　The cancer prevention and control training program that Qiao and his team participated in involved the knowledge and capability of professionals in cancer prevention and control as well as conducting cancer research. In 2010， they formulated a key national program for cancer prevention and control in rural areas.

　　According to the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) for Healthcare Development， by 2015， 70 percent of rural women at an eligible age will be checked for common gynecological diseases. The nation will also strengthen advocacy on tobacco control and establish complete surveillance for tobacco epidemic as well as implementing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. By 2015， smoking rates among people 15 years old and above is expected to be 2 to 3 percent lower than that in 2010.

　　In addition， China has issued the National Program for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention (2012-15) and other relevant guidelines to strengthen cancer prevention and control efforts. Starting in 2005， major programs on the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer have been put into effect. In 2007， a nationwide movement to promote healthy lifestyles was launched， employing various measures and channels to encourage the public to live better. In 2010， China set out to build state-level demonstration areas in chronic disease prevention and control capacity， aiming at enhancing comprehensive prevention and control capability against chronic diseases.

　　Shi Yuankai， Vice President of the CIH， has been involved in cancer research for 30 years. He believes that with the increase in early-stage patients being identified， the economic and emotional costs are being reduced. “I think the most challenging part when it comes to cancer prevention and control in China is that the incidence rate is high，” Shi told Beijing Review. “It will be definitely better if we could pay more attention to prevention.”

　　Cancer patients in China have shown differences to their foreign counterparts in certain areas. Therefore， original research targeting Chinese patients has become increasingly important， Shi explained.

　　Established in 1958， the CIH serves as a national center for cancer research and treatment. It is also the largest center of cancer prevention and treatment in Asia in terms of scale， and one of the clinical trial bases approved by China’s Food and Drug Administration.

　　Shi and his research team have participated in major national science and technology projects for innovative drugs， which aim to make 30 new drugs by 2015. A total of 16 projects involving energy and the environment， aerospace and healthcare have been funded as part of the Guidelines on the National Medium- and Long-Term Program for Science and Technology Development (2006-20).

　　According to Shi， some of the new drugs have already begun clinical trials. In August 2013， The Lancet Oncology published an article by Shi and his team， claiming Icotinib could be a new treatment option for pretreated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

　　“Anti-cancer research at our institute is among the best in the world，” Shi noted. “Through more cooperation both domestically and internationally， we are trying to use research to benefit our patients， but it will still take time.”

　　By Chen Ran