Cancer Epidemiology and Control in China: State of the Art

Cancer has been a major challenge for public health in China. It ranks first among all causes of death in urban areas, and second in rural areas. This paper present the latest cancer statistics of China. The incident number of gastrointestinal cancers is still high and the burden of lung cancer and breast cancer are increasing. The trend indicates that the overall cancer burden would still be severe with the rapid development of China and aging population. Addressing this challenge requires comprehensive and multidisciplinary approaches. The current status of cancer control polices, structures, and cancer registration in China are described. National cancer control plans has been carried out by Ministry of Health since 1986. National program of cancer registry has been set up. In 2012, the number of population-based cancer registries has expanded to 222, covering populations with 200 millions. In areas with high risk of cancer, they have held systematic programs of cancer control. Many places such as Linzhou and Cixian have shown a down-trend of cancer incidence and mortality. The successful experiences in areas of high risk of cancer also promote the nationwide cancer campaign. The prevention programs include tobacco control, immunization against hepatitis B for infants and children, and cancer early detection and diagnosis. This paper provides considerable scope and motivation for future work on cancer control and prevention.