The Life Hope Of Cancer Patients In China Is Increasing, Prevention And Treatment Are The Key

Staff discussed plans for treatment at the Tumor Gansu Wuwei Hospital in Wuwei, Gansu Province, northwest China, on October 15, 2024. (ANTARA/Xinhua/Lyu Shuai)

JAKARTA - The survival rate for cancer patients in China has shown a significant increase. According to data from China's National Cancer Center (NCC), the percentage of survival cancer patients increased by at least five years from 40.5 percent in 2015 to 43.7 percent in 2022.

In the work plan released for the 2023'30 period, the Chinese government is targeting further improvements, hoping to achieve a minimum survival rate of 46.6 percent by 2030.

This effort is supported by the development of a screening model that includes various types of cancer, which aims to improve prevention, early detection, and the effectiveness of treatment.

Monitoring data between 2000 and 2018 shows that the incidence and death rate from esophagus and stomach cancer, commonly found in China, has decreased. Experts attribute this positive trend to the widespread implementation of cancer screening of the upper cerena tract.

On the other hand, cervical and breast cancer continues to be a major threat to women's health. Since the launch of the national screening program in 2009, millions of women in China have benefited from the initiative. Based on the latest data from the National Health Commission (NHC), more than 280 million cervical cancer tests have been carried out, resulting in the detection of 902,000 cancer cases and precancer lesions.

Although much progress has been achieved, significant challenges still exist in the implementation of cancer screening. Uneven access and varying quality are the main obstacles. In some rural areas, doctors who work in public hospitals or clinics often lack special training in early cancer diagnosis. This has the potential to increase the risk of diagnosis errors and undetected cases.

To overcome this problem, the NCC has compiled screening and early diagnosis guidelines for seven types of general cancer, including lung and stomach cancer. This step is expected to improve screening standards and reduce gaps in access and service quality.

Effective prevention and standard-based treatment are essential to reduce the incidence and death rate from cancer. Although many regional-level hospitals have opened oncology and radiotherapy departments, challenges related to treatment standards still have to be overcome.

Strengthening cancer treatment services in primary health facilities is one of the priorities, including through training medical personnel, technical support, and the use of remote consulting technology to distribute medical resources more evenly.

Chen Zhu, an academic from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stressed the need to strengthen cancer research. He also encourages the acceleration of innovation in key technologies and the development of industrial clusters related to cancer treatment.

In the last decade, China has recorded significant progress in cancer treatment, including the development of anticancer drugs and diagnostic devices. As of 2024, more than 208 new anticancer drugs have been approved in China, with more than 60 percent of them local innovations.

The Chinese government, through the NHC, is committed to forming a special research team to face major challenges such as cancer immune mechanisms and metabolic pathways, with the aim of creating technological breakthroughs and accelerating the discovery of new solutions in cancer treatment.