Cancer is one of the major causes of death for urban and rural residents in China. That’s according to a recently released annual report by the National Cancer Prevention and Control Office.
3.5 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year in the country, and 2.5 million die from the disease, the report says. Only one quarter of Chinese cancer patients go into remission, compared with 65 percent in developed countries. The most prevalent forms of cancer in China are those affecting the lungs, stomach, rectum, liver and esophagus, with lung cancer having the highest mortality rate.
Medical experts say cancer is closely related to people’s lifestyles. And 60 percent of cases could be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle.