Shanghai has nation’s highest rate of cancer
Print Edition
Shanghai has the highest incidence of cancer in the nation. The high cancer rate is linked to Shanghai’s large number of elderly, the persistence of unhealthy habits like smoking, lack of exercise and unhealthy diet, and the city’s thorough cancer patient registration system.
Cancer is the second-deadliest disease for Shanghai residents, following cardiovascular disease.
The city has 51,000 new cancer patients each year and 32,000 people die from cancer annually. The prevalence of the disease is 1.78 percent, meaning more than one person in every 100 Shanghai residents has cancer.
The five most prevalent cancers among local men are cancers of the lung, stomach, colorectum, liver and prostate. Lung cancer is No. 1 among all cancers for men, accounting for 22 percent of all new cases.
The five cancers most affecting females in the city are cancers of the breast, colorectum, lung, stomach and liver. Breast cancer is the most prevalent among women, accounting for 17 percent of new cases.
Dr Chen Bingguan, chief of surgery at Shanghai East International Medical Center (SEIMC), the first joint venture general hospital in Shanghai, said the hospital has seen an increase in cancer patients.
Worldwide, cancer is the second-biggest cause of death in adults, while in the population 45-64 years old, it’s the biggest cause of death, according to National Vital Statistics Reports from the United States.
Among cancers, lung cancer is the top cause of cancer-related death, while colorectal cancer has become the second-biggest cause of cancer-related deaths.
Experts said prevention and early diagnosis are very important to reducing cancer-related deaths.
Although cancer’s workings are not fully understood, several factors are known to be linked to the development and outcome of lung cancer and colorectal cancer.
Present or past smoking history is known to affect lung cancer mortality. Air pollution may be another risk factor, as are exposure to radon and occupational exposure to carcinogens targeting the lungs such as silica, cadmium, asbestos, arsenic, chromium, diesel fumes, nickel, coal smoke and soot. Other factors, such as a history of cancer or other diseases and second-hand smoke may also contribute to lung cancer. People with a high risk factor need medical assessment to arrange screening or detection. Based on the results of clinical research, annual low dose chest CT may detect lung cancer earlier and therefore reduce the mortality of lung cancer.
For colorectal cancer, people have a higher risk if they have a history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and especially pancolitis, a severe inflammatory bowel disorder of the large intestine. People who carry genetic mutations linked to hereditary colon cancer are the most likely to develop the disease. Obesity is also a high risk factor for colorectal cancer. These persons need periodic screening and detection for colon cancer.
If the colorectal cancer can be diagnosed earlier, the outcome of surgical treatment is optimistic. Currently the most accurate screening and detection is colonoscopy, while CT colonography is also effective for detection. Those with chronic diarrhea, chronic abdominal pain and blood in the stool may need a medical consultation for colorectal cancer screening.
Dr Chen from Shanghai East International Medical Center gave an example.
The patient had acute abdominal pain for 12 hours with vomiting. He came to the medical center as an emergency case. After examination, he was diagnosed with diffuse peritonitis, or severe infection of the abdominal cavity, and underwent urgent surgery. During surgery, the cause of the infection was found to be a ruptured, cancerous colon. After surgery, he underwent comprehensive treatment and is in good recovery condition.
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