Every minute, six people in China are diagnosed with cancer. Topping the list is lung cancer, with both the highest number of cases and deaths. Our reporter takes a look at what's driving the high cancer rates, and what's being done to fight it at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Acadamy of Medical Sciences, or CAMS, in Beijing.
Doctor Gao Shugeng is the leading thoracic surgeon at this prominent cancer hospital in Beijing. Today, he has four operations scheduled in a row. But he is optimistic of the outcomes.
"I operated on an early-stage lung cancer patient. He was a 60-year-old man, who came to the hospital with a cough, and we found a two-centimeter-wide tumor in his lung. It hadn't affected the lymph yet, so we performed a minimally invasive surgery, taking less than one hour. The outcome should be very good," Gao said.
The hospital conducts roughly 3,000 of these minimally-invasive surgeries every year. It's considered a common and relatively low-risk procedure. It has helped keep the survival rate among early stage lung cancer patients at around 80 percent.
Doctor Gao says the key to treating lung cancer is early detection and prevention. But only about 30 percent of patients are treated for early stage lung cancer. For the rest, it's often too late.
Lung cancer is so far the deadliest form of disease in the country. Death rates have quadrupled in the past three decades, and the number of cases have also increased by almost 27 percent every year. Doctor Gao says that while genetics can play a role, smoking and air pollution are also significant contributors. He urged people to get regular check-ups.
"To detect it early, you should do a low-dose spiral CT every year. More than 90 percent of lung cancer cases can be detected at an early stage this way. It's the most reliable detection method we have right now," Gao said.
Also high on the list of common cancers in China are stomach and liver. National Cancer Awareness Week begins next Tuesday. Cancer hospitals across the country are organizing free lectures and check-ups. And the public seems to be paying attention.
"I want to know how to detect and prevent cancer, and how to treat it. I just want to increase my health awareness."
"Seems that air pollution is causing many diseases. Cancer is horrible, so I want to have the knowledge to prevent it."
Doctor Gao heads in for another lung cancer operation. Before he goes, he stresses again that the earlier the cancer is detected, the more treatable it can be.
