China initiates action plan to raise cancer survival rate

BEIJING -- The Chinese government has unveiled an eight-year action plan for cancer prevention and treatment, aiming to achieve an overall five-year survival rate of 46.6 percent among cancer patients by 2030.

The plan, covering the 2023-2030 period, was jointly formulated by 13 government agencies, including the National Health Commission.

According to the plan, by 2030, the ability of cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment will be significantly enhanced, the rising trend of cancer incidence and mortality will be curbed, and the burden of patients treating such diseases will be under control.

Measures will be taken to improve the cancer prevention and treatment network, which covers medical institutions at the national, provincial, prefectural, and county levels.

By 2030, tumor registration will be expanded to cover all county-level areas, according to the plan.

The government also moves to raise the early diagnosis rate of key cancer types in high-incidence areas and the screening coverage rate of breast cancer, noting that it aims to increase the cervical cancer screening rate to 70 percent by 2030.

With the promotion of tumor registration, cancer screening, and early diagnosis and treatment across the country, the five-year survival rate among cancer patients in China has increased to 40.5 percent from 30.9 percent a decade ago, official data showed.