April 15 is the beginning of China's National Anti-Cancer Week, during which the country promotes knowledge and awareness of the deadly disease.

China is striving to raise the overall five-year survival rate for cancer patients to 46.6 percent by 2030. By 2022, the rate had climbed to 43.7 percent from 40.5 percent in 2015, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).

Continuous monitoring by the National Cancer Center (NCC) from 2000 through 2018 has revealed an average annual decrease of 1.3 percent in the age-standardized mortality rate from malignant tumors in the country.

The NCC estimated that China added 4.82 million cases of malignant tumors in 2022, with lung, colorectal, thyroid, liver and gastric cancers accounting for the most incidence cases.

Useful tips for cancer prevention

Though cancer is a complex disease with many contributing factors, there are things we can do to reduce the risk.

NHC experts said up to 40 percent of cancers might be avoidable through lifestyle changes and controlling risk factors, and early detection through screenings can significantly improve treatment outcomes.

(With input from Xinhua. Images generated with the help of AI. Cover via CFP.)