China-specific cancer guidelines and treatments set for clinical trials

Medical specialists have announced that China's first self-made cancer diagnosis and treatment guideline has been completed and promoted for clinical use and public education.

The Chinese Anti-Cancer Association has led a tour of top medical specialists across the country to explain and promote the guidelines for regulating and directing cancer prevention and control. The guidelines encompass 53 different forms of cancer and 60 different medical methods.

"It is a guideline based on Chinese epidemiological features, genetic background, medical research, and clinical specialties, as well as the nation's current condition and service availability. It also incorporates both Chinese and foreign perspectives while emphasizing the necessity of cancer screening," said Dr Yu Xianjun, president of Shanghai Cancer Center and director of the Chinese Anti-cancer Association's pancreatic cancer branch.

"The guideline's goal is to improve treatment, survival rates, and life quality," Yu explained. "The cancer incidence and total number of cancer patients in China continue to rise as a result of changes in lifestyle, diet, and environment. China has become the country with the highest number of new cancer patients and cancer-related deaths in the world. Cancer is a serious threat to people's lives and health."

In Shanghai, the incidence of cancer among registered residents is about 88,700 people annually, with a prevalence of 607.6 per 100,000 population.

The national government has set the target of increasing cancer patients' five-year survival rate to 46.6 percent by 2030.

"A healthy lifestyle for cancer prevention, regular screening for early detection and intervention, and proper treatment are critical," Yu said. "Thanks to early detection and qualified treatment, certain cancers, such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and thyroid cancer, have become treatable and controllable diseases with long-term survival."

Yu said that the Shanghai Cancer Center followed over 300,000 cancer patients diagnosed in the hospital between 2008 and 2020. The five-year survival rate is 71 percent, placing the country first and in line with developed countries.

"The guideline can help us further improve our medical capability on cancer diagnosis and treatment," he said.